


we don't have to be ordinary

by cherryraindrops



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Footloose AU, M/M, Minor Character Death, minor abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2016-06-03
Packaged: 2018-07-12 02:13:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 34,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7080481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherryraindrops/pseuds/cherryraindrops
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Moving from Los Angeles to the small town of Bomont, Ashton Irwin is shocked to find that the town has banned public dancing of any kind for minors, restricting any chance of fun he was bound to have. Never been one to follow the rules, Ashton decides to challenge the bans, and maybe just change the town. </p><p>or, the Footloose AU that nobody asked for but are getting anyway.</p>
            </blockquote>





	we don't have to be ordinary

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dafeedil](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dafeedil/gifts).



> This story became an idea nearly five months ago, when Angie and I were discussing AUs (you know, the usual). I had grown incredibly invested in watching old 80s, 90s movies, and I fell in love completely with Footloose. This is where this story comes from, and holy shit I am so incredibly proud of this story. Not only is it OFFICIALLY the longest piece I've ever written, it is also joining the ranks of one of my favorite pieces that I have written. 
> 
> This fic is for Angie, the Michael to my Calum, WHO IS OFFICIALLY NINETEEN YEARS OLD!! Can't believe she's growing up on me, I can't believe her. She's been the one who has listened to me whine, scream, and cheer over this story for the past five months, the one who has helped me through the ruts, and the one who encouraged me to keep writing no matter how many times I just wanted to give this up all together. You are the greatest friend anyone could have ever asked for Angie, and I hope you have the best birthday in the WORLD.

“This is _my song!”_

Jack’s not quite sure who shouted those words, or where their location in the crowd was, but once the words left their mouth the music grew louder, and suddenly the opening chords of ‘ _Footloose_ ’ by Kenny Loggins began thrumming through his veins. It was a classic dance song, and it seemed to get everyone even more into the party mood as it went on.

A bump on Jack’s arm makes him spin around in a fancy dance move, only to meet the sparkling, beautiful chocolate eyes of Mali Koa Hood. A red solo cup is in her hands, and Jack grins before taking the cup and taking a drink. He nearly gags immediately afterward, stopping his dancing to look at the girl seriously. “Mali, I swear you have _the_ worst taste in beer.”

The girl laughs, only shrugging before wrapping her arms around Jack’s neck. “I’ll remember that next time I need to grab you a drink then,” she says, removing herself from Jack’s embrace to dance to the music. “Dance with me, Hemmings!”

He can’t dance, that one is for sure. Out of his entire group of friends, Mali was definitely the dancer. She could move her hips to the beat expertly, as if her body was tuned to the music. Jack had always loved watching her dance, ever since they were little and she would attend ballet classes. Of course, the way she danced now was definitely a far cry from ballet, but Jack was still just as mesmerized.

He inches closer, taking Mali’s hands into his as they danced. Jack never quite learned how to dance to country music, that was for sure, but Mali seems to be leading him in what he _thinks_ is swing. It’s fun, the two of them laughing and giggling as they stumble over the steps, only to fall into each other’s arms in fits of laughter.

“How about we head to the diner in town and get some food?” He whispers into her ear, and she nods in agreement before sliding her hand in his. “I’m paying, if that sways you towards it more.”

Mali laughs, sliding into the passenger seat of Jack’s car and taking a swing of her beer before tossing the cup out the window. “Are we not going to grab everyone else? Last I checked Celeste and Tom needed a ride back.”

Jack groans, tapping his steering wheel a couple of times before cupping his hands together. “Celeste and Thomas! We are blowing this popsicle stand! If you’d like to come with us, get your asses over here!”

Mali is laughing when Jack slides back into the car, her eyes shut and her head thrown back. “You did not just call this party a popsicle stand!” She continues to laugh as Celeste and Tom pile into the backseat of the car, Jack starting it up and beginning to tear down the dirt road back towards their town.

They were only a few miles out, the party nearly outside of city limits. It’s the only place they could really party without disturbing residents inside of the town, and it was the only place they could openly drink their alcohol without a cop coming by a taking it all away. It had been the perfect place for a party, but having been there for two hours already had grown tiresome, not to mention worked up Jack’s appetite.

The radio is playing softly as they drive down the road, with Celeste and Tom the only ones really speaking. They are still on the subject of the party, talking animatedly about something that happened on the dance floor. Jack can’t quite catch what they are talking about, mostly paying attention to the road and occasionally glancing at his best friend in the passenger seat.

“You alright Mali?” He asks, noticing the girl had gone silent.

She nods, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. “I’m good, yeah. I was just thinking about back at the party is all.” She has her arms wrapped around herself, something she does when she feels insecure. Jack knows her ticks, and now he knows that his best friend needs to be cheered up.

“What’s bothering you?” He asks, taking one hand off of the wheel to rest on her shoulder. “Talk to me Mali.”

“Back at the party, when we were dancing?” Mali clears her throat, adjusting herself in her seat to face Jack. She looks shy, a far cry from the outgoing Mali Jack has grown up with. “I don’t know if you felt the same, but I wanted to kiss you. I was hoping I’d get a chance to at the party, but I never got it.”

Jack grins, a small, light laugh escaping his lips. “Well, how about you take that chance now? I can assure you I won’t say no.”

Jack wasn’t really thinking about keeping his eyes on the road then as Mali scooted forward, leaning in and pressing her lips against his. It was a soft kiss, one that Jack would be lying if he said he hadn’t been waiting for this. He always knew something was there for Mali, a feeling beyond friendship.

He wishes he could savor the kiss, but before he really could a bright flash of headlights came into view, and all Jack could hear was screaming before the truck slammed into his car, flipping them upside down.

They never did make it back into town.

***

_Three Years Later_

Ashton Irwin has heard stories about people who have traveled via Greyhound buses. Most of them had been around school, whispers here and there about various acts of murder or kidnappings. A lot of the stories sounded awfully violent, while some just seemed outrageously impractical. Either way, he can’t say he was entirely willing to enter the Greyhound that was supposed to take him to his new home, though his fears did ease a little to see that he was one of the only people on the bus.

Three months ago, he never thought he’d be on one of these. The idea of leaving his hometown seemed ridiculous. There was no reason at all to leave Los Angeles. He’d spent a good part of his life there with his mother, and occasionally his dead beat father. It had been years since he last saw the man, though, and he certainly wasn’t expecting him to come back now.

The last thing he expected was his mother to get sick. There wasn’t much Ashton could do, the family being far too poor to really get great medical care. The months leading up to her death were far too slow, filled with painful moments as he watched his mother suffer, all leading up to the moment he officially lost her. He’d never been on his own before, and now here he was at eighteen years old, alone.

Of course, his mother was wildly loved. Various people attended her funeral, people Ashton had never met once before in his entire life. They all expressed their regrets about his mother’s death, shaking their heads with sentiments of ‘She was a good woman’. Ashton didn’t care what they had to say, because none of it was going to bring his mother back to him. Where were these people when she was sick? He never saw any of them sitting beside her at their home, wasting away. Where were they when Ashton had to cry himself to sleep at night as he lost his mother more and more each day?

It had been only two weeks after the funeral that he received a call from a Utah number, one that didn’t seem all that familiar to him. It surprised him when he answered, though, to hear a familiar voice on the other line.

“Ashton,” the friendly voice of Joy Hood, his mother’s best friend, had said solemnly. “How have you been holding up?”

Joy had been one of Ashton’s favorite people when he grew up. She only visited twice a year, but every single time she did Ashton would enjoy the visits. She always had a bright smile with her and various new mix CDs for Ashton to listen to. Ashton would consider her his second mother, despite her living in a completely different state.

He’s honest with her over the phone, telling her how he hasn’t been attending school, how it’s been bleak. His mother passing hit him harder than people really knew, and he hated to tell Joy how terrible he’d been. He wanted to be strong for himself, strong for everyone around him and prove that he wasn’t completely falling apart. Of course, Joy could sense that Ashton wasn’t telling the complete truth and had called him out instantly.

It was then that she had made a final decision. “You are coming to Utah and living with me and my family,” she had said, and Ashton knew from the tone in her voice that there was no changing her mind. “You can complete school here in Bomont, with Calum. You need family around you honey, and you are more than welcome to be around mine.”

Ashton had no qualms with living with the Hood family. They were perfect, in every sense of the word. Last Ashton had heard, Calum had been a star soccer player at the school and his older sister, Mali, had been on a fast track to college with a dance scholarship. That right there was apparently a difficult thing to achieve in such a small town as Bomont, and Ashton reminded himself to congratulate Mali when he got the chance.

The Greyhound comes to a halt outside of a vacant field, the wind blowing slightly and stirring some of the dirt around. Ashton removes his sunglasses and stuffs them in the collar of his shirt to get a better view of the small town, and his nose almost wrinkles at the sight. Gone were the skyscrapers of Los Angeles he had fallen in love with his whole life, only to be replaced by small, older buildings that gave of the quaint, quiet town appearance.

This was definitely not Los Angeles, and nothing made Ashton more homesick.

There wasn’t much he needed when he left Los Angeles, only a few bags in his possession containing his clothing. Everything else he sold for some extra cash, cash to get himself to Bomont despite Joy’s offering to pay for him to get there. He didn’t want to inconvenience them, especially when he felt they were still too considerate to allow him to live with them from now on. He’s never been a fan of people doing things for him, preferring to fend for himself. He’s used to it.

He’s only walked a few feet when he suddenly spots a car coming up the road, dust billowing behind it as it comes to a stop. It’s an older vehicle, most likely from the 80s, and from the faded blue paint it appears it has seen much better days. Ashton almost chuckles when he notices Joy getting out of the driver’s seat, because _of course_ she would be driving such a thing. Ashton didn’t know how he missed it before, the car practically _screamed_ Joy Hood.

“Ashton!” she cheers, strutting towards him and gathering him into a large hug. Ashton is quick to wrap his arms around her in return, hugging her tightly as she laughs softly in his ear. She’s the same as Ashton always remembered, full of life and, well, joy. Ashton didn’t realize how much he’s missed her until this moment. “It’s so good to see you honey, let’s get you home shall we? Calum and David are so excited to see you!”

Ashton grins at the news, allowing Joy to grab one of his bags before following her towards the trunk of the car. The trunk squeaks loudly when he opens it up, making him cringe a bit at the sound. The car might be older than he previously suspected, if that noise had anything to say about it. “Good hell Joy, do you not have the money to invest in a car that doesn’t squeal?”

Joy laughs, patting his cheek before heading back towards the driver’s side. “Sweetheart, when you find a few thousand dollars lying around, I’ll gladly allow you to pick me out a new car. Until then, you are going to just put up with how obnoxious and noisy my baby blue is, alright?” She grins at him as he slides into the passenger side, all smiles as they head out of the town.

The town is beautiful; Ashton will give it that. Los Angeles was mostly buildings and towers, cookie cutter neighborhoods with less than friendly residents. This place was almost peaceful, silent, and he’s pretty sure at least five people have waved at them in the past few minutes alone. He’s not used to the friendly atmosphere, but he’s definitely opposed to it.

“How are Calum and Mali these days?” Ashton asks Joy, looking at the gorgeous maple trees they pass on their way to the Hood residence. “I haven’t heard much about them since you lost contact with us all those years ago. Last I heard Mali got that really important scholarship, how is school for her?”

Ashton can’t help but notice the way Joy’s face shuts down at the mention of her daughter, a little bit of sadness hiding behind her eyes. Ashton didn’t think it was a touchy subject, but maybe he was wrong; Maybe Joy was still sad about her daughter leaving the town for a college far away. Ashton could understand how upsetting that would be.

“Calum is doing good, he’s been getting wonderful grades at school lately,” Joy tells him, her grip on the steering wheel tightening. “I guess we never could contact you to tell you about Mali, could we? That was around the time your mother first got sick, it wouldn’t have been appropriate.” She sighs, stopping at a stop sign. The air in the car feels tense, and Ashton sucks in a breath when Joy exhales, “Mali died in an accident three years ago.”

_Oh._

It suddenly makes sense, why Joy seemingly cut their family off. Their family was grieving, completely devastated. Ashton knows the feeling of losing someone all too well, and wanting to just take some time for yourself. The slight bitterness he had towards his mother’s best friend seems to fade away afterwards, replaced with aching.

“I’m so sorry,” Ashton tells her, not really knowing what else to say. He lets the silence in the car take over, leaning back in his seat and observing the changing scenery as they continue along the dirt road. A house begins to come into a view, a small little thing that looks almost like the perfect family home. There’s a white picket fence surrounding it, a small barn off to the side with what appeared to be someone near it messing with something.

Joy nearly scares the crap out of him when she slams her hand against the horn, announcing their arrival. The figure at the barn looks up from their work, waving and smiling at them before jogging towards them. He’s older looking, flannel wrapped around his waist and a filthy white tee on. He had laugh lines, and a large smile as he holds his hand out for Ashton to shake once he’s out of the car.

“I’m David, Joy’s husband,” he tells Ashton with a grin. “I’m sure she’s told you about me, but I never got a chance to go out to California and meet you or your mother.” He pulls Ashton into a big hug, squeezing Ashton tightly before releasing him. “Welcome to the family Ashton.”

Ashton smiles at him, all teeth and dimples. “Thank you David.” He says, walking towards the trunk to pull out his bags. He refuses to let Joy carry any of them, insisting he had it covered before he follows the two up towards the house. It looks a little rustic, but still quite beautiful. Ashton is sure that Joy has spent hours working on the garden in the front, keeping the grass as green and beautiful as it was. He makes a reminder to himself to help out around the house, not knowing how else to thank them for taking him in.

His room is upstairs, across the hall from what Joy tells him is Calum’s room. It’s a bit larger than Ashton’s old bedroom, with a double bed against one of the walls and a decent sized dresser for Ashton’s things. There’s a little closet beside the dresser, a curtain attached to the door frame instead of an actual door. The walls are painted a dark blue, the only color in what was overall a pretty colorless room.

It was almost perfect.

Ashton doesn’t waste a lot of time putting all of his things away, opting instead to check out the rest of the house. Despite the outside looking quite large, the rest of the house is smaller. Two bathrooms are on the same floor as Ashton’s bedroom, as well as a hall closet and Calum’s bedroom. Everything else remained downstairs, including the kitchen, living room, and Joy and David’s bedroom. It was a nice change from the home he lived in for his time in California, more spacious and secluded.

Joy had already left once more to get some things for dinner, telling him that she would be picking Calum up from a friend’s house on her way back. Not wanting to spend the rest of the day holed up in his bedroom, Ashton ventured out into the yard, heading towards the barn where he’s sure David wondered off to.

Sure enough, he finds the man underneath an old car, paint faded and seeing better days. Not wanting to scare him, Ashton crouches down beside the man’s feet and whispers, “Whose car is this?”

David coughs, pulling himself out from underneath the car and looking at Ashton. “No one really, I was thinking of fixing it up for Calum if he really wanted a car. Then again, the boy probably wouldn’t want to drive around town in this thing.” He taps the side of the vehicle before getting up, with the help of Ashton. “It’s a vintage vehicle, but that boy is too stubborn for his own good. He wants a fancy car, thinking we can afford such a thing.”

Ashton laughs, leaning back against the car as he watches David wipe his hands. “How about this; I work for the car, and I’ll take it.”

David seems intrigued by Ashton’s words, raising an eyebrow before crossing his arms and looking at him in surprise. “You’re willing to work for this piece of junk?”

“A car is a car.”

David laughs. “That right there is true. I guess I can agree with you on that,” He pops the hood of the vehicle, beckoning Ashton over with a crooked finger. “How about this; you manage to get this thing mobile and I’ll allow you to have it. With my age I can’t exactly work on the thing without every single part of my body aching.”

Ashton grins. “You’ll let me have the car if I can fix it up?” He’s a little surprised, how easy it was to get David to agree. Not that he’s complaining, of course not. As he had said before, a car was a car. He was just grateful he wouldn’t have to work to earn some cash for one. “I promise, once I get a job I’ll pay you back for it- “

David holds a hand up, chuckling before patting Ashton’s shoulder. “Getting a job I would appreciate, but you don’t have to pay me back for it. It’s been rotting in here; I’ll just be grateful it’s being used again.” He hands Ashton a wrench before he bids farewell, heading back towards the house and leaving Ashton to work. The smile on Ashton’s face has yet to disappear as he turns back to the Volkswagen Beetle, his _car,_ and gets to work.

***

 Ashton never had a car back in Los Angeles. He had learned how to drive when he was fourteen through his school, something his mother was adamant on him being taught, but had never been able to drive anywhere. His mother would sometimes allow him to borrow her car if he wanted to go places, but there was never anywhere he wanted to go. On some occasions he would drive far away just to enjoy silence, but there was never a place he’d specifically drive away to.

Now though, as he tears down the dirt road away from the Hood’s residence with his iPod blasting ‘I Believe in A Thing Called Love’ by The Darkness, he swears he’s the happiest he’s been since his mother died. He has the window rolled down as he drives, wind tearing through his long hair as he sings loudly along to the song he knows by heart, his mother’s favorite song.

 _“Touching you! Touching me! Touching you cause you’re touching me!”_ He sings, drumming his hands against the steering wheel as he turns a corner, completely oblivious to his surroundings. Why would he? He was feeling the music in his heart and enjoying himself for the first time in so long. What did it matter? It wasn’t as if anyone was out here in the middle of nowhere anyhow.

It’s not until a glimpse of red and blue lights catch his eye that he realizes, okay, maybe there was someone out in the middle of nowhere with him.

“Fuck!” he curses, turning his music down and pulling to the side of the road. Joy was going to kill him, his first day in Bomont and he was already being pulled over. Ashton thought he was gonna have a clean slate here, he honestly did.

An officer approaches him slowly, running a hand through his short brown hair before stopping in front of Ashton and tapping on the window. Ashton puts on his nicest smile as he peaks his head out of the window to speak with him, hoping to at least come off as a nice guy. “How can I help you today Officer?”

The guy doesn’t seem to be swayed by Ashton’s smile, glaring at the boy as he writes something down in his notepad. “You were blasting your music quite loud there, were you aware of that?”

Of course Ashton was aware of that. Why wouldn’t be blast his music loudly? “I wasn’t aware that playing my music loudly resulted in being pulled over sir, I apologize.” Ashton didn’t really regret it, of course, but he wasn’t about to tell the officer that.

The officer just nods, putting his notepad away and giving Ashton a smile. “Seems like you are new to this town. Mind if I see your I.D?”

Ashton nods, taking out his wallet and handing it to the officer without question. It reminds him that he needs to get a new license, at least one that changes his residence. He can already tell by the smug look on the officer’s face that he’s getting a crack out of the idea that a Los Angeles driver was around here. Probably thinks Ashton was just trying to be a little punk. “Alright bud, since it seems you are from out of town I’ll break it down for you,” he hands Ashton back his license before putting his hands on his hips. “No loud music in town, alright? Outside of city limits you can do whatever you want but try not to play it in town, alright?”

Ashton gives him a nod and the officer grins. The guy walks back to his car then, and Ashton assumes it was just a verbal warning this time as the officer starts his vehicle up again and tears off down the road, leaving Ashton behind. It makes Ashton sigh with a relief, that was for sure. Maybe Joy wouldn’t kill him now.

***

Dinner that night is possibly the best thing Ashton has had in his entire life. Joy makes enough food to feed an army it seems, with piles of mashed potatoes, a roast Ashton swears was seasoned perfectly, homemade rolls that Ashton remembers smelling when he arrived home earlier. It’s practically a buffet laid out in front of him, and it takes everything in him not to just pile it all onto his plate.

“Would you like to say grace Ashton?” Joy asks him, finishing up with dishing up her plate. Ashton looks up from where he’s been dishing up his own plate and looks around the table, where David and Calum have already bowed their heads for prayer. Ashton doesn’t want to say no, would hate to be disrespectful, but he’s also unsure _how_ to pray. His mother didn’t raise him religiously, and his father was never around to do that part either. He was a man without a religion, unsure.

“Can’t say I know how to Joy,” He tells her honestly, head still bowed. “Wasn’t exactly taught that growing up.”

Joy dismisses him with a wave of her hand. “You’ll learn quick, I promise. How about I say it for tonight, and you can take it away tomorrow?” She grins so brightly at him, a warm and loving smile that has Ashton’s heart aching. He nods for her to begin, folding his arms like David and Calum and bowing his head respectfully.

He had seen on television how families would pray before a meal, either by holding each other’s hands or folding their arms. They would always thank the Lord for everything in front of them or they would pray for something good to happen in the near future. Of course, Ashton didn’t think that any of it was what was really said until Joy began speaking, blessing the food in a soft voice and thanking the Lord above for what he’s given them the past year.

The ending to her prayer almost gets to Ashton.

“Lastly, thank you Lord for bringing Ashton into our welcome arms, for giving him a family that will care and love for him as much as his mother had. Amen.”

It carries on after that. Everyone around him begins to dig into their food, easy conversation going around while Ashton can’t help but smile at Joy’s prayer. To be told he was cared for and loved was all that he needed to be told since his mother died. Never did he think Joy would have included him in her prayer, but he certainly wasn’t going to be the one to complain about it.

Back when his mother was alive, she had always made it her mission to tell Ashton that she loved him. It was one of the things that helped Ashton get on with his life day in and day out, the encouragement of his mother’s love. With his father never around, he lived off of the positivity his mother gave him. Her loving words were what reminded him that it didn’t matter what little they had, that despite it all his mother was there for him.

It was after she died that Ashton had feared he would lose all of that. Without his mother, he was a scrappy orphan that wasn’t good for anything. Sitting around the dinner table with the Hoods, he was beginning to feel loved again.

***

Ashton is finishing up with putting away all of his things when there is a soft knock against his door. He shuts his dresser drawer gently, turning around to face the doorway, where Calum was leaned against it with a friendly smile on his face. “Just checking in on you, seeing if you are getting settled alright.”

Ashton nods, sitting down on his bed and crossing his legs. He’s already changed into his pajamas, was considering doing some writing to help him fall asleep. It was what he always did in California, back during the days when his mother was still sick and wasn’t there to sing him to sleep. “I’m all good, thank you. I appreciate you checking up on me though, it means a lot.”

Calum grins even more, and Ashton wonders if he’s always this smiley. “Of course, you are practically my brother now.” He looks awkward when he says this, hands stuffed into his jean pockets and nervously chuckling. “If you need anything, like extra blankets or maybe some hangers for your shirts, I have plenty. It gets pretty cold in this room at night, feel free to borrow the heater from the hall closet.”

“Thanks,” Ashton tells him, patting the end of his bed for Calum to take a seat. He finds it odd that his suggestions surprises Calum, who raises an eyebrow before hesitantly approaching the bed and sitting down, crossing his legs the same way Ashton has his. “So, um, I have something as ask you about, and please don’t take it the wrong way.”

“I’m assuming you are asking about the prayer,” Calum fills in, and Ashton only nods slowly in confirmation. “My family attends church every Sunday morning, down in the old church house in town. I can’t say we are the perfect religious family, dad drinks and you have yet to see the _mouth_ on my mother. Plus, their son is _gay_ for crying out loud.” He ruffles his hair a little, chuckling lightly. “I can promise you, though, that they don’t judge you for not knowing how to pray, if that’s what you are worried about.”

It wasn’t, but it does ease Ashton’s worries. “Thanks Cal,” he says, and he notices the boy blush at the simple nickname. The boy was adorable, Ashton has decided. “Is the rest of the town just as accepting about all of that as your family? Because man I got pulled over today for _playing my music too loud.”_

Calum seems to go tight lipped after that, only nodding gently before patting Ashton’s knee and getting up off of the bed. He heads for the door, hand grasped tightly against the edge of it before turning back to Ashton. “Do you prefer to sleep with the door closed or open?”

“Closed please,” Ashton requests, confused by Calum’s sudden behavior. “I’ll, um, see you tomorrow?”

Calum nods. “We got church in the morning, nine. You can borrow one of my dress shirts if you won’t have any.”

“I appreciate it.” Ashton bids Calum a goodnight before the boy has closed the door, leaving Ashton resting against the headboard of his bed. He’s survived his first official day in Bomont, and tomorrow was his last day of official ‘freedom’ before he was supposed to head back to school.

As he drifts off to sleep, he wonders if his mother is wishing him luck. He likes to believe that she is.

***

The church is small, with some of the town’s residents having to stand near the doors just to listen in on Sunday’s service. Ashton wonders if every Sunday was like this, with what seemed to be every resident in the town gathering into the small building for worship. He feels almost out of place, where everyone is dressed nicely and in their best clothing, and he was there in a T shirt and leather jacket.

Calum had offered some of his Sunday best, but the boy was a lot smaller than Ashton. His clothes had been far too tight on Ashton, and David’s were far too big on his figure. Joy had told them they would just have to go into town and shop for some new clothes for him for Sunday, which made Ashton groan. He wasn’t one for nice dress, or shopping for that matter. It was something he would much rather avoid.

Once the doors have been closed and everyone has gathered into a seat, a man steps towards the podium. His hair is greying on the sides, some blond at the top and styled nicely. He wears a nice suit jacket and dress pants, no tie. His large hands grip the sides of the podium, and he faces the crowd of people with a look of friendliness in his eyes.

“We live in a brand new generation,” he begins, looking around the room. “Growing up, there wasn’t cell phones around in our pockets, the internet right there, just a touch away. To pay for things we had to pay with cash, not some shiny, plastic card. What happened to the simple things around here?”

It takes everything in Ashton not to groan at the sermon, and he’s suddenly grateful that he’s not at the front of the chapel so he could throw his head back in annoyance. The only person that would notice would be behind him, and when Ashton opens his eyes to apologize, he’s amazed with just how _blue_ the stranger’s eyes are.

“Might want to pay attention,” the stranger tells him, biting at his lip. “Common courtesy and what not.”

Ashton smirks at the boy, a part of him fluttering at the hint of sarcasm in the boy’s voice. Combined with his gorgeous eyes, Ashton swears he could be perfect. “I guess I can do that,” he responds, giving the boy a flirtatious wink before turning back into his seat. He feels a sharp elbow in his ribs the minute he’s back around, and he turns to scowl at Calum.

“Flirting with another man in _church,”_ Calum hisses, keeping his eyes forward. “You really want Pastor Hemmings to kill you, don’t you?”

Ashton rolls his eyes. “If the prick is against what type of person I’m attracted to, I could care less.”

Calum is quiet after that, and Ashton tries to be respectful the rest of the sermon. After all, his mother didn’t raise an asshole, she raised a gentleman. While the pastor seemed to be full of bullshit (“Nowadays all teenagers care about is their cell phones!”), Ashton wasn’t exactly going to voice that in church. No matter how tempting it seemed to be at that moment.

The sermon ends an hour later, much to Ashton’s relief. He’s bounding down the steps of the church house as quick as he can, hoping he can just get to Joy’s car and hide away, when David grabs his arm.

“Pastor Hemmings,” David calls, and Ashton all but groans. “I would like you to meet Ashton, he’s the boy we took in recently.”

Okay, Ashton was not looking forward to having an introduction to everyone. He’d much rather get through the rest of the year without having to know every single person in the town, especially the pastor. Hell, if there was anyone in this town he’d like to get to know better it would have been the cute blue eyed boy that sat behind him.

The pastor is an older man, with laugh lines and wrinkles. His hair was slightly grey at the edges, and his blue eyes looked dim from all the years that had passed. “Very nice to meet you Ashton,” he says, voice not as loud and booming as it was during the sermon. It was lighter now, kinder. “David here told me a lot about you, said you are an awfully good kid. Don’t see that a lot around here to be quite honest.” He laughs, removing his grip from Ashton’s hand to pat David’s shoulder. “Well, aside from my son and Calum, of course.”

“Where is that boy anyhow?” David asks him, looking around as the rest of the crowd begins to disappear towards their cars. “I could have sworn he sat behind us at your sermon with Michael.” He’s looking among the crowd, hoping to spot him and Ashton just wants to _leave._ Last he heard, Joy was making hamburgers for lunch and there was nothing more he wanted than to get back to the house and indulge himself.

He feels someone tug on his sleeve then, pulling him out of David’s grasp. Calum stands behind him, hand still gripping Ashton’s jacket with his head cocked to the side. “C’mon,” he says, pulling Ashton away from the adults. “I want you to meet some people. They go to school with me, I promise they are cool.”

Ashton snorts, not bothering to look back at David and the pastor before following Calum away and towards two boys standing near the parking lot. One has dark blue hair, a sight that has Ashton smiling. It’s the first person he’s seen in Bomont that didn’t appear to be a stuck up religious type, and he definitely needed to get to know them. The other boy, much to Ashton’s joy, was the blue eyed stranger from earlier, and now Ashton definitely wanted to learn more about these two.

“Mikey!” Calum calls out, making blue haired boy turn around. There’s a look of love in the boy’s eyes as Calum approaches them, and it isn’t until Ashton sees him kissing Calum gently that he understands exactly what the look meant. “I wanted to introduce you and Luke to Ashton. He’s staying at my house for the rest of the year.”

Blue eyed boy turns to face Ashton then, and his infamous smirk appears once more. “Well, nice to finally have a name for you. I was just gonna call you honey curls.” He holds his own hand out, slender and pale. “I’m Luke Hemmings, and I’m looking forward to getting to know you.”

Ashton is about to return the sentiment, because there was nothing he was looking forward to more than this boy, when the boy’s last name rings around in his head. “Hemmings,” he says, testing it on his tongue. He doubts the boy is the typical preacher’s son, but he dreads that it could possibly be true. “The pastor’s son.”

Luke bites his lip. “Don’t let _that_ keep you away,” Luke chides, stuffing both hands into his pants pockets. “My father might be the pastor in this town, but that doesn’t mean I follow every one of his little rules.”

Calum snorts, lacing his fingers with Michael’s before leaning into him. “You don’t follow _any_ of his rules, Hemmings.” The three friends chuckle amongst themselves at Calum’s words, Ashton smirking slightly as he notices the slight dust of blush appearing on Luke’s cheeks. “Trust me Ash, Luke is a pretty cool kid. I’m sure the two of you will get along just fine.” There’s something twinkling in Calum’s eyes as he says those words, but it’s vanished before Ashton can detect what exactly it was.

Calum was right, though. Ashton was pretty sure he and Luke were going to get along perfectly, if the way the boy’s eyes continued to trace him said anything at all. It had been quite a while since Ashton had anyone look at him in such a way. Relationships hadn’t been a huge part of his life, and it certainly wasn’t a priority. Ashton just liked to have fun, without the emotional ties. He was sure Luke was the same way.

“Calum!” Joy’s voice rises above the loud chatter of the crowd outside, and Calum groans against Michael’s shoulder. “Ashton, let’s head home boys! Those burgers are not going to be cooking themselves!” She begins to head towards them, pushing her way past a few other towns folk before she finally arrives in front of the boys, a smile on her face as she takes in the scene of her son and Michael. “Good to see you Michael, are you coming for lunch?”

The blue haired boy shakes his head, earning an adorable pout from his boyfriend. “Sorry Joy, my mother is already inviting over some friends and if I let my dad control the barbeque he might be feeding them charcoal.” He presses a kiss to Calum’s nose before bidding everyone farewell, leaving Joy to look at Luke.

“How about you Lucas?” she asks, and Ashton wonders if she’s always this eager for guests in her home. “Seems like you and Ashton are getting along, and I certainly don’t mind more company!” As much as Ashton loves Joy, he almost wishes she would just walk away and take both him and Calum home. The whole situation feels awkward and the last thing he wants is Luke to be scared away by Joy.

He expects Luke to say no. He least expects the boy to look back towards his father and shout, “Dad, I’m going to Cal’s for lunch, don’t wait up for me, alright?”

The look on the pastor’s face nearly terrifies Ashton, as it looks strict and discouraging. Ashton wonders if it’s rare that Luke gets let out of the house, if his dad held a tight leash on him. Luke’s words from before ring in his head, about not following all of his father’s rules, and he wonders if he was being serious.

“I guess that’s alright,” Pastor Hemmings swallows down his argument, hands placed into his suit jacket as he walks towards them. “Just make sure you are home at a decent time. It’s a school night Lucas, and if you are not through our front door by ten…”

Luke nods, almost on the verge of rolling his eyes at his father’s words. “I’m breaking curfew; I know the rules dad.” The boy leans forward, kissing his father’s cheek before waving goodbye. “I promise I’ll be home by then, love you!” He’s waving goodbye before another word can be spoken, and suddenly Calum is tugging Ashton away towards the car to head home.

This time, though, it’s a bit of a squeeze in the back seat. Calum had previously offered to take the middle seat, insisting that Ashton could sit by the window, but it was Luke ended up in the middle. Of course, this also seems to lead to Luke leaning into Ashton’s side whenever they turned a corner, and by the time they got to the house Ashton was _positive_ Luke Hemmings had been shoving himself into him on purpose.

“Thank you for inviting me, Joy,” Luke, ever the perfect gentlemen, says as he slides out of the backseat. “Honestly I was just going to make myself a tuna sandwich when I got home.” He laughs at the end of his sentence, and Ashton wants to bang his head against the car at how adorable it sounds.

“Well we can’t have that!” Joy declares, looping her arm with Luke’s and leading him up towards the front door. She turns around to look at Calum, whom seems to be more interested in his cell phone then making his way into the house. “Calum, how about you take Luke up to your room and find him a change of clothes?”

Calum looks up from his phone, eyebrow quirked before he sighs. “Are you sure mom? I’m pretty sure Luke would have better luck fitting into something of Ashton’s than he would my clothes.”

Ashton nearly chokes on his saliva at Calum’s suggestion, the image of Luke wearing his clothing making him feel warm. He wasn’t going to lie, Luke would be incredibly attractive in one of Ashton’s band shirts, but having him be more attractive than he already _was_ would end up being a heart attack for Ashton. Last the boy checked, he was far too young to have one of those.

It’s worse when Luke bites his lip, saying, “That’s alright with me! As long it’s alright with Ash.” He raises an eyebrow at the boy, and Ashton swears at that moment that Luke Hemmings was _bound_ to be the death of him in this town.

“Perfectly alright with me,” Ashton grins, stepping past Luke and Joy to head inside of the house. He heads towards the stairwell and bounds up the stairs two steps at a time, hoping he can reach his room before Luke catches up to him. He needs a few moments to himself, just some time to collect his thoughts.

Boys back home never made Ashton feel like this. All of the boys in Los Angeles had always just wanted one thing out of Ashton, and of course he was willing to provide it. He’d learned from the age of fourteen that sex was something close to heaven, with the way it made him feel and the way it erased every little issue he had easily.

This feeling was incredibly different. Of course, he wanted to do so many dirty things to the pastor’s son, but at the same time there was something else there. While the image of getting hot and heavy with Luke pleased him greatly, there was another sensation that rose through him just based on Luke’s smile. It was a million butterflies in his stomach, a rush of adrenaline.

He _refused_ to call it a crush. Whatever he was feeling for Luke had to be infatuation only, he was damn sure that was all it was. He wasn’t going to have some ridiculous crush on some boy he’d just barely met.

He quickly strips out of his church clothes, folding them up neatly and resting them against the edge of his bed before walking towards his closet and finding more comfortable clothes. He’s pulling his black skinnies up his legs when the door to his bedroom opens, and a wide eyed Luke Hemmings stands there, hand on the knob.

“Shit!” Luke curses before shaking his head, turning away. “I mean, crap, sorry I didn’t mean to barge in! Calum just told me this was your room and, crap I am so, so sorry.” His face is nearly scarlet in embarrassment, a hand covering his ocean blue eyes and Ashton wants to chuckle at this boy’s apologies.

Grabbing a shirt from his closet, Ashton is quick to pull it on over his head before walking over towards Luke and slowly peeling his hand away from the boy’s eyes. “I’m finished.” He whispers, a smile playing on his lips before he moves past Luke and heads towards the stairs. “Pick out anything you like, I don’t mind.”

Luke mumbles out a thank you, Ashton’s bedroom door closing behind him. Ashton can’t help but grin as he heads back down the stairs to help Joy with lunch. If he was going to survive this school year in Bomont, he was going to have to just be as flirtatious as Luke Hemmings. The thought of having a crush on him needed to fade away, quick, because as far as Ashton knew, that was the last thing he needed to think about.

He can hear Joy bustling around the kitchen, the sound of Calum laughing to something she said ringing in his ears. The scene in front of him reminds him of him and his own mother, laughing and struggling to make a perfect lunch. They look incredibly happy, and when David enters the room from outside, their family looks nearly complete.

A complete family. Another thing Ashton hasn’t seen in too long.

He turns down the hallway, heading towards the bathroom to wash up a little, when a picture at the end of the hall catches his eye. There are four smiling faces in it, eyes crinkled and smiles wide. It’s the perfect family photo, with Joy and David holding both of their children tightly as they gaze at the camera with love.

Ashton’s eyes linger on Mali, how young and healthy and _alive_ she was. It appears the picture was taken after one of her dance recitals, the girl wearing what appeared to be baggy sweats and a tank top, hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. She wears a golden medal around her neck, and confetti decorates the background of the picture.

“That was the day she got her scholarship,” a voice says from behind him, making Ashton flinch and turn around. Calum stands there, a sad smile on his face and his hands tucked away into his pockets. “She had just performed in front of talent scouts, and when they announced her as the winner, I rushed the stage so I could be the first one to hug her.” He visibly swallows, head hanging low. “Lunch is almost ready. I’ll go tell Luke.”

He’s vanished up the stairs before Ashton can get a word in, but Ashton doesn’t mind. Mali was a fresh wound in the family, regardless of how much time had passed since her death. Ashton knows the feeling of losing someone, and from Calum’s body language alone he knew that now wasn’t the time to ask questions regarding his sister’s death.

Lord knows he’s yet to speak about his mother.

“Boys!” Joy calls from the kitchen. “Lunch is ready, get your buns down here!” There’s so much life in her voice, love and enjoyment that reminds Ashton exactly of his mother. Ashton wonders just how much pain she’s buried down from Mali’s death, if the excitement in her voice is covering so much more than meets the eye.

Luke and Calum are barreling down the stairs now, play fighting as they attempt to shove the other out of each other’s way and make it to the kitchen first. Their laughter rings around the house, combined with the sound of chairs scraping against the kitchen floor and dishes being placed. It reminds Ashton that he has a home now, a place where it’s not just him and his mother eating TV dinners.

Luke’s head peeks around the corner, a smile on his face and a little bit of laughter still escaping his lips. “Hey, Joy says if you don’t come eat Cal and I get to have your share.”

Ashton rolls his eyes, Luke’s smile contagious as he feels his lips curl upward. “Well you are certainly not having my food Hemmings.” He jokes, following Luke back into the kitchen and taking his own spot at the table. Calum’s palm is open in front of him once he’s settled, and Ashton is quick to take it and lower his head as the family begins to say grace.

***

Since Ashton had managed to get what David called ‘the old piece of junk car’ working again, Joy told him he was tasked to take Luke how that night. Ashton wondered if it was because she was curious as to how _well_ Ashton had done on the car, but another part of him wonders if Joy just wanted him to make friends with the pastor’s son.

Ashton had a sneaking suspicion it was the latter.

“You have good taste in music,” Luke comments as they travel back towards the town. The night sky is beautiful, the full moon bringing in some light into the old car and allowing Ashton to catch a glimpse of Luke’s face as he speaks. “Decade music is always a great thing to listen to when driving at night.”

Ashton grins, turning the volume up on his iPod so he can hear the song better. He can hear Bonnie Tyler’s voice belting out about needing a hero, and a smile creeps onto his lips as he listens to the lyrics. “This was one of my mother’s favorite songs,” Ashton explains, turning a corner and passing the ‘Welcome to Bomont’ sign. “Sometimes when I couldn’t sleep at night she would sing it to me, talking about how despite only being five, I was her hero. I could protect her from the evil monsters, because I was strong.” A small, blue house comes into view then, Luke pointing towards it and confirming it to be his home.

“I bet she was wonderful Ashton,” Luke tells him, an honest smile on his face as he gathers up his church clothes from the back seat. His hand hesitates on the door handle, making him turn back to face Ashton and sigh. “I’ll, um, see you at school tomorrow. We’ll most likely be forced to hang out considering Michael and Calum’s habit of being joined at the hip.”

Ashton chuckles, not exactly protesting being closer to Luke Hemmings. He enjoyed the mystery and rebelliousness that seemed to surround him, and he’d be damned if he didn’t solve what was going on underneath the classic good boy exterior. It might be the most interesting thing he’s approached in Bomont thus far. “I’ll be looking forward to that. Goodnight Luke.”

For a moment, he wonders if Luke was going to lean forward and kiss him. He doesn’t, instead opening the passenger door and waving goodbye as he heads up the front steps, but that doesn’t mean Ashton doesn’t think about.

Maybe he’ll kiss Luke Hemmings someday. Someday.

***

Calum is pouting in the passenger seat, glaring down at his phone as he furiously types away. While Ashton is trying to keep his focus on the road, he can’t help but notice how annoyed and seemingly upset Calum is, and it’s almost distracting. “Are you alright?” he eventually asks, searching the school parking lot for an empty spot. “You’ve been staring daggers into your phone since we left the house this morning, what is up with you?”

The dark skinned boy huffs, shoving his cell phone into his front pocket and crossing his arms. “Here is a word of advice for you on your first day of school Irwin; Michael Clifford is a dummy and we will not be conversing with him on this day. Also, boys are fucking stupid and I hate them.” It’s an overdramatic response that has Ashton snorting, turning the wheel and placing the car into park.

“Trouble in paradise?” Ashton teases, cutting the engine and grabbing their backpacks from the backseat. “Yesterday the two of you were on like white on rice, what could Michael have possibly done in twenty-four hours to get you so riled up?”

Calum just huffs again, adjusting the strap on his backpack before slamming the passenger side door as they exit the vehicle. “I cannot believe you just said white on rice, for one thing. Two, damn lucky he’s cute or I’d be trailing this campus to find him and kick his ass.” He throws his arm around Ashton’s shoulders, walking them towards the school entrance as he continues to speak. “Michael’s dad caught him sneaking some beer last night I guess. I’ve told him countless times that his dad was pretty sneaky and he was going to get caught, but like I said before Michael is a dummy. So, to teach him a lesson, I’m not speaking with him today and neither will _you._ ”

Ashton rolls his eyes, shoving Calum away with a snort. “Silent treatment all because he wanted to drink? I say a slap on the wrist would suffice.” He pushes open the entrance doors, gripping the handle on his backpack before the two of them head to the main office to grab Ashton’s schedule. There are various students chatting at their lockers, some pressed real close against one another and others high fiving their friends as they head towards their homeroom classes. It’s a lot smaller of a scene than Los Angeles was, Ashton had already known it would be, but it’s still almost a shock to his system to see just how different this place was from his old home.

The office lady greets him kindly, a gentle smile on her wrinkled face as she prints off his schedule and hands him a map of the school. “As small as it is, it’s pretty easy to get lost in here,” she tells him, bidding him and Calum farewell before turning back towards her computer. The other ladies in the office chime in as well, and Ashton begins to wonder just how _friendly_ this school really is.

“Do they always do that with new students?” Ashton asks as they walk towards his locker, spinning the combination in before yanking the metal door open. “Greet them with all the cheer they can?”

“They are just cheerful people,” Calum explains, leaning against the locker beside Ashton’s. “Don’t get too comfortable with friendly though, the kids in this town are not near as nice as those ladies. You’ll pick up on that quick enough.”

Ashton knows how to handle himself. He remembers his days back in Los Angeles, the kids there that would be awfully cruel to him despite everything. If he could handle their cruel words and disgusting remarks regarding his lifestyle, Bomont couldn’t even leave a scratch. If there was one thing Ashton had truly learned from his mother passing, was that he was stronger than he ever thought.

He finds his classes easily enough without Calum’s help, much to his relief. His teachers all seem quite friendly as well, offering sweet smiles and suggestions for Ashton to catch up with the rest of the senior class. It’s an easy transition into the Bomont school system, and he’s grateful it wasn’t as rough as he was anticipating it would be.

Lunch comes around faster than he expected, but he’s more than welcoming to the break from classes. Calum leads him around the outside area where various students are scattered, chatting with their friends around the small quad. Some are actually eating their lunches, while others seem to only be talking or texting. Ashton still feels awkward, unsure of what to do with himself quite yet around this many people, but it helps to have Calum nearby. Less intimidating, he guesses.

They’ve only just sat down when two more trays have joined their table, Ashton looking up from his hamburger to find Luke and Michael smiling at him. Well, Luke was grinning at him. It seemed as though Michael was more preoccupied with Calum’s obvious disregard.

“Are you really going to be this childish?” Michael voices, nudging Calum’s leg with his foot. Ashton shakes his head with a chuckle, watching as Michael begins to pout as his boyfriend continues to ignore him. “Babe, I said I was sorry.”

Luke can’t help but laugh as well, stealing a carrot off of Ashton’s tray in a way to grab his attention. Ashton pouts as the boy pops the vegetable into his mouth, but it fades into a gentle smile as he sees the amusement in Luke’s expression. “How was your first day Irwin?” he asks, swallowing down the carrot and attempting to grab another one from Ashton’s tray.

Ashton swats the boys hand, giving a pretend stern look that has Luke scowling. “Wonderful until some strange boy sat down across from me and attempted to steal my carrots.” He reaches across towards Luke’s tray, snatching a French fry and popping it into his mouth. “There, we are even.”

The shy smile that graces Luke’s features then makes Ashton grin, making him focus down on his food in an attempt not to blush. “To answer your question, though, my first day has been pretty good so far. Haven’t ran into trouble quite yet.”

“You will soon enough,” Michael assures him, though his attention remains focused on his grumpy boyfriend. “Keep sticking around with Calum here and you are bound to become a little rebellious.” He winks after his sentence, nudging Calum’s foot once more before hollering in victory when his boyfriends crack a smile.

“Michael is a worse influence than I ever will be on you,” Calum counters. “Pretty sure the boy will have you become the object of the law enforcements eyes. Taking you out past curfew, underage drinking, might even get you a ticket for dancing in public.”

The last one makes Ashton snort, dropping his fork onto his tray before looking at Calum incredulously. “Dancing in public? That’s not exactly illegal Calum.” He looks around the table, but the serious looks Luke and Michael are giving him seem to say otherwise. “You have got to be kidding me, dancing is _illegal?”_

The three friends nod, staring down intently at their lunches. “You can thank Pastor Hemmings for that,” Luke spits, voice full of venom regarding his father. “He thought it would be a nice lesson to teach the children of this town, taking away one of our favorite pastimes.” He sets down his fork, pushing his tray aside. “All because a few teenagers _died.”_

Ashton tenses. He had seen the memorial set up in the hallway while going to one of his classes, one with various photos of students smiling and appearing cheerful. He didn’t think anything of it, of course. He didn’t seem to know any of them anyway, at least none that he recognized immediately.

Except for one of them.

Calum stands up then, taking his tray with him as he glares at Luke harshly. “My _sister_ died.” He hisses, walking away from the table and tossing his lunch in the garbage bin. Part of Ashton wants to run after him, talk to him before he does something rash, but it seems Michael is already on it. The boy has stood up too, leaving his lunch as he chases after Calum. It didn’t matter that Calum was still angry at him, Ashton figured if someone could comfort him at the moment it would have been Michael.

Luke looks ashamed of his words, watching Calum storm off with sad, puppy dog eyes. He doesn’t get up, though, nor does he attempt to do anything to stop Calum from walking away. Instead he pushes his own lunch tray away from himself, sighing and resting his head into his hands. “That’s not what I meant,” he mumbles into his hands. “Should I go after him?”

“Pretty sure going after him right now will just get you punched,” Ashton shrugs. “Let him blow off some steam, yell at Michael for a little bit. It will be good for him to get it out.” He reaches over the table, tapping against Luke’s hands and making the boy look up at him from his hands. “I know you didn’t mean it, don’t beat yourself up about the whole thing. We can find him later and you can apologize, okay?”

Luke seems to be in agreement, nodding his head before reaching down at his feet for his backpack. “I’m not really that hungry anymore, think I’ll be heading to class a little early.” He offers a sad smile to Ashton, picking up his tray from the table and sighing. “Want to come with me? Pretty sure I overheard you telling Calum you had music next, that’s where I’m headed.”

Ashton glances down at his tray before shrugging, getting up from the table himself and grabbing his things. “Better than eating here alone,” he says, and Luke cracks a small smile, one that doesn’t seem as sad. It’s cute, makes one of his dimples pop out and Ashton’s hand aches to reach out and poke it. “Just lead the way.”

***

The music room is empty when they arrive, and Ashton feels grateful for that. If he was correct with Luke’s body language at the moment, there was a good chance the boy wanted the two of them to be alone. There was something Luke wanted to say, Ashton knew that by how hopeful the boy was about getting Ashton to come with him early. It was just a matter of what exactly that something was that had Ashton worried.

“I know we haven’t known each other that long,” Ashton begins, figuring breaking the awkward tension between them would help. “But if you need to say something, anything, I can listen. I don’t know if you usually talk with Calum or Michael about personal things, but you can talk to me too? That is, if you consider me a friend.”

Luke nods, sitting down at one of the chairs set up and running a hand through his darkening blond hair. “As you might have guessed already, my dad is a pretty controlling guy in this town.” He says it bitterly, anger flaming in his eyes when he mentions his father. “He wasn’t always like that of course, with all the restrictions and shit. It was only after that accident that he suddenly became the man he is today.

“Three years ago, my brother was driving a bunch of his friends’ home from some party. He wasn’t supposed to be there; my parents had advised against him driving out there. Jack never listened to them much, so of course he snuck out of the house anyways, asking me to cover for him as he did so.” Luke breathes shakily, making Ashton sit down beside him and wrap and arm around him for comfort. He can see by Luke’s sparkling eyes that he’s on the verge of tears. “He met up with a few of his friends there, including Calum’s older sister, Mali. He had this massive crush on her, so anything she was going to do, he’d follow her.

“I don’t know what distracted him from the road, but they collided with a truck on the way back from the party. It killed them instantly, that’s what the doctors said.” He sniffles, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. “Calum wasn’t the only one that lost somebody in that accident. I lose my older sibling too, and every single day I blame myself for the reason he’s dead because _I_ was the one covering for him when he left. I was the one who encouraged him to go.”

Ashton allows Luke to cry. He lets the boy’s shoulder shake violently as he sobs, because Ashton knows what it’s like to lose someone. Luke didn’t get to see his brother die though, he never got a final closure. Ashton at least got to say goodbye to his mother before he let out her final breath. All Luke got was a promise to not tell his parents about his brother’s whereabouts, a promise he probably shouldn’t have kept.

 “So your father banned dancing because his son died,” Ashton concludes, rubbing Luke’s shoulders gently in an effort to calm the boy. “He didn’t even bother asking you how you felt, did he?”

Luke shakes his head, and Ashton’s heart crumbles. “Banned dancing, loud, amplified rock music. Anything that the teenagers in this town deemed as fun was stripped away from us because it was assumed that was what caused Jack to take his eyes off the damn road.” He takes in a breath. “Sometimes I wonder if my dad even remembers the person Jack was before the accident.”

Ashton opens his mouth to speak, wants to assure Luke that wasn’t true, but the bell rings. People begin to file into the classroom, talking amongst each other about their lunch hour, and it seems Luke’s conversation has faded into the air. With a final wipe of his eyes, Luke is sitting up straight and focusing his eyes towards the front, almost like the conversation never even happened.

As their teacher begins the lesson, Ashton reaches over and intertwines Luke’s fingers with his, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. He wants to say more, tell Luke he knows where he’s been, but he doesn’t. He figures, for right now at least, holding his hand was enough.

***

Ashton didn’t even think drive in movies were popular anymore. The last time he’d ever seen one was when he was younger and his mother took him to one with some of her friends. He was probably six then, maybe seven. They were an outdated thing of the past in Ashton’s mind, but when Michael pulls up to Danny’s Drive and Dine, he realizes that, well, drive in movies still _exist._

“I thought you said we were going somewhere fun!” he protests as Michael cuts the engine of his car, practically jumping out of the vehicle before opening up the passenger door for Calum and Ashton to get out. “I doubt seeing a late night showing of ‘The Creature from the Black Lagoon’ is considered fun.” It wouldn’t surprise him if it was in such a small town as Bomont, but he honestly had more faith in his friends. Last he checked they were the ones who found the fun things in this town, not downright boring activities.

Michael snorts at him, wrapping his arm around Calum’s waist and walking them towards the snack bar. It’s bustling with various teenagers, most of them Ashton recognizing from walking the halls at school. He’s still surprised that such an old drive in was such a hotspot for teenagers in this town, especially since everything around him seemed so outdated. The interior was yellowed and peeling, the tiling appearing to have seen better days. There are old movie posters lining the peeling wallpaper walls, most of them movies popular in Ashton’s grandmother’s time.

He needed an explanation.

“Bernie!” Michael shouts towards the back of the kitchen, where an older man is flipping some hamburgers. His head perks up at the sound of Michael’s voice, and a wrinkly smile appears on his face as he hands his spatula over to a younger worker before heading up to the front.

“Nice to see you back here Mikey,” the old man, Bernie, laughs as he pulls Michael into a hug. “Thought after your last ticket you would never come back.”

Ashton raises an eyebrow at his friend. “What did you get a ticket for around here?”

“Public dancing,” Calum tells him, kissing Michael’s neck. “We told you, this town is fucking strict when it comes to that rule.” He looks at Bernie though, giving the man a wink. “Except our friend Bernie here of course. What do you have for us this weekend Bern?”

The old man claps his hands together, holding up one finger as he heads towards the back for a CD. It’s a blank disc, doodled on in sharpie and placed into a plastic case. The look on Michael’s face, though, shows that it’s something much more than that. “I might have listened to some early suggestions from the two of you of what songs to add, there is about two hours’ worth of music on that thing.” As Michael gushes over the disc, Bernie beckons a finger at Ashton, leaning in. “Make sure Michael doesn’t get himself arrested again, alright? Don’t dance too hard.” He winks before taking the disc back from Michael, walking towards the stereo.

Calum tugs on Ashton’s arm, pulling him towards the back where a large crowd has gathered. “C’mon!” he says, tugging harder. “ _This_ is what kids in this town do for fun.”

Music begins to blare from the speakers outside, the opening notes of ‘Something Big’ by Shawn Mendes beginning to play. Ashton watches with wide eyes as people around him move towards the center of the circle, moving to the beat, _dancing._ Various teens stomping their feet, allowing their bodies to be taken over by the music with smiles on their faces as hoots and hollers echoed through the air as their peers cheered them on. There’s so much excitement surrounding them, and it’s the most enticing thing Ashton had seen in this town.

 Michael had joined the crowd, throwing himself in the middle and showing off his own dance moves. Ashton watches in amazement as his friend dances, almost like the music was made for his friend. There’s so much confidence that rests in Michael’s face as he moves, and Ashton notices that Michael isn’t concentrating on his dancing, nor is he concentrating on the music that’s making him move. The boy’s focus was just being free, allowing the music to control him rather than his own mind.

Ashton nudges Calum’s shoulder then, looking back and forth between the boy and the makeshift dance floor. “Why don’t you go out there? Pretty sure you got some moves.”

Calum shakes his head, face turning red as he leans up against the wall of the snack bar. “I’m not a big fan of dancing, Ash. You can head out there though, I’m sure you’ve got some killer moves that this town needs to see.” He shoves his hands in his pockets, eyes becoming incredibly interested in the ground, and Ashton knows there’s not much he can do to convince his friend.

“Maybe you’re right,” Ashton tells him, taking off his jacket and handing it to Calum. “Hold this for me, I’m about to blow you away.”

He moves towards the dancefloor then, pushing past the crowd and finding himself directly in the middle. He can feel everyone’s eyes on him, either judging him or anticipating his next move. He knew what they were probably all thinking, about how the new kid was trying to make it in this town by proving he could roll with them. It was the same back home in Los Angeles, and Ashton knew he’d have to prove himself here too.

So he does.

The beat of the music melts into his skin and electrifies his veins, his soul giving into the music as he begins to dance. He doesn’t pay attention to the stares around him as he keeps his ears focused on the music. Ashton has become a completely different person now, the one that comes out once the music begins to play and rests into his bones.

People begin to join him after some time, and Ashton’s almost blown away watching them. There were kids with ridiculous talent dancing around him, putting their heart and soul into their moves and smiling, enjoying themselves. It makes Ashton chuckle at the thought that something that did this, something that made people _happy,_ was considered illegal in this town.

He backs away for a bit, allowing others to showcase their own moves, only to bump into someone. He spins around, apology ready, but he stops when he recognizes the beautiful shade of blue in the eyes of Luke Hemmings.

“You’re an amazing dancer,” Luke tells him casually, taking a sip from the drink in his hands. His pink lips curl around the straw beautifully, and Ashton swallows. “How well can you dance with a partner?”

It’s an invitation, one that Ashton would be an absolute fool to decline. With a flirtatious smirk, Ashton takes the drink from Luke’s hands and hands it off to someone nearby, pulling Luke towards the dance floor by the bottom of his shirt. His deep, hazel eyes never once leave the sparkling ocean that Luke’s eyes contain, and his hand only leaves its grip on Luke’s shirt so it can rest on his hip.

Ashton has had dance partners before, plenty. The nightclubs around Los Angeles contained plenty of men and women who were more than willing to dance with him, and Ashton was never one to decline them a dance. He’d be an absolute fool to deny Luke of one, especially if he gets to hold the boy as close as he can.

Luke’s body seems to be made for dancing, at least in Ashton’s eyes. The way his body moves to the beat is almost sinful, seductive as his hips move against Ashton’s hands. His arm rests on Ashton’s shoulder, their foreheads close to touching. It’s almost magic between them, with Ashton’s skin on fire as his hands trail Luke’s body as the boy continues to dance with him. It’s the closest they’ve been since they’ve met, just them and the beat of the music.

With Luke’s lanky figure, Ashton assumed there would be a little bit of stumbling when it came to dancing, and he’s grateful to be wrong for once. Dead wrong. Watching Luke dance was officially the best thing Ashton had ever laid his eyes upon, and he was positive he never wanted this moment to come to a close.

Of course, Ashton never seemed to get everything he wished for.

The music is cut mid dance, Ashton’s hands resting on Luke’s hips but a distance become clear between them. Everyone around them is groaning about the lack of music, but all if it suddenly becomes hushed whispers as a man steps into view, arms folded and looking incredibly angry at one person in particular.

“Lucas Robert,” Mr. Hemmings speaks calmly, though loudly enough for everyone around to hear. Luke groans, moving away from Ashton and rubbing the back of his neck as he looks around the crowd, embarrassed. “A word?”

Ashton can hear people talking. There are mumbles of ‘he’s fucked’ going around the crowd, and he knows it. Luke’s father looks furious about his son’s activities, and part of him knows that somehow what happened tonight was going to get back around to Joy and David. They were going to have his neck, that was for certain.

Michael and Calum are pulling him away as Luke walks towards his father, head hanging low and hands in his pockets. “Let’s get you guys back home,” Michael says, the three of them heading back towards Michael’s car. Ashton’s eyes remain focused on Luke as he walks, watching as the boy is chastised by his father and dragged towards his vehicle. Part of Ashton wants to rescue him, insist to Mr. Hemmings that they were just messing around, but he knows it won’t do any good.

“Consider yourself on Pastor Hemmings hit list,” Calum tells him once they get in the car, and Michael smacks his shoulder. “I’m being serious! Your little sex dance with Luke is going to turn you into the town’s bad guy if he has anything to say about it!” He throws his head back into the passenger seat, groaning loudly.

Ashton didn’t regret anything that happened. Sure, he’s a little worried about Luke and what his father was bound to do to him, but there wasn’t a single part of that night aside from that that he regrets. The way he felt out there in that parking lot, dancing with Luke and allowing the music to control him once again was exhilarating. He wasn’t going to let his memory of tonight be tarnished by some controlling pastor.

“I don’t care what he does to me,” Ashton retorts, rolling his eyes. “If some pastor thinks he can control what I can or cannot do, he’s got another thing coming. There is no way in hell that he can act as everyone in this town’s parents twenty-four seven.”

“He has a good point babe,” Michael says, reaching across the middle console and resting one of his hands on Calum’s thigh. “I know you don’t like all these restrictions either.” He focuses back on the road before sighing. “I know Mali wouldn’t allow them to happen either.”

Calum’s eyes shut, his own hand resting atop of Michael’s and rubbing it gently with his thumb. “She would be furious. Unable to dance anywhere in town would basically lead her to overthrow the town council.” He smiles sadly at the memory of his sister. “Ash, I know that you were just having fun. I guess I overreacted a little.”

Ashton waves him off. “All is good, I understand.” He pats Calum’s shoulder to reassure the boy, and he can feel the tension leave the boy’s body. He wonders if Calum isn’t as adventurous as Ashton previously thought, with how stressed he had been tonight about dancing and being at the drive in. He figured with Michael, he would be up for just about anything.

The Hood house comes into view faster than Ashton expected, but he’s also grateful. He’s exhausted, definitely looking forward to a good night’s rest before another day of school tomorrow. He’s surprised he didn’t end up dozing off in the backseat of Michael’s car.

Calum takes a little longer to leave the car, but Ashton understands. He can see them from his spot on the front porch, Calum sharing sweet kisses with Michael as he bids farewell to the boy. The two of them are cute together, Ashton decides, and he knows that Michael can always make Calum feel better no matter what.

That doesn’t stop him from teasing his friend when he finally comes up to the door.

“You two are so _adorable,”_ he coos, making Calum shove him. He can tell by the blush on Calum’s cheeks, though, that his friend agrees with him. “I can’t wait for the day you two run off and get married, it’s going to be so precious.”

Calum snorts, opening up the front door and rushing to the stairs. “That will be the day!” he jokes, the bathroom door closing behind him as Ashton bounds up the stairs. He shakes his head with fondness at his friend before he heads towards his bedroom for the night, closing the bedroom door gently behind him.

As he lies his head down on his pillow, ready to turn off the lights and sleep, his phone lights up with a new text.

 **From:** _Luke_

_I never got to tell you, but I had fun tonight :)_

Ashton grins.

***

When Ashton had lived in Los Angeles, no one really talked about him at school. There was nothing to talk about with him really, even after his dad left his peers didn’t gossip about him behind his back. It was something Ashton appreciated, because it was already hard enough trying to get by. The last thing he needed was to fend off assholes who wanted to cause trouble.

Living in a small town was completely different form the big city. Every single person in this town knew you, seemed to discover what all of your secrets were before even you knew about them. Calum had told him that there were eyes everywhere, watching over every person in Bomont and already writing an assumption before you even spoke.

He’s been living in Bomont almost a month now, and apparently he’s now the subject of conversation at school. Ashton had given himself at least three months before he did something that would make him the talk of the town, and now just walking down the hall he can hear the whispers, knows that they are all discussing him.

It’s twenty minutes until homeroom when he hears his name spoken loudly down the hall, and while his mother had always taught him not to eavesdrop he can’t help but be curious. He peeks around the corner down the hallway, where he can see someone leaning up against one of the lockers and speaking closely with another boy. The other boy seems awfully uncomfortable with the presence, shoving him away and trying to focus on anything else.

The reason Ashton ends up marching over there, though, is when he notices the familiar blond hair and unmistakable lip ring poking out from the boy’s bottom lip.

“Go away Max,” Luke groans, arms folded across his chest, face twisted into a scowl. “Nothing you say to me is going to make me snap, so you can keep trying.”

The boy, Max, opens his mouth to say another retort when Ashton reaches them, throwing an arm around Luke. He can see the tension release from Luke at the feel of Ashton’s arm around him, and it makes Ashton feel warm at the fact. “What’s going on here?” he asks casually, looking between Luke and Max with feigned curiosity.

Max snorts. “Weird, how new kid here just happens to show up when the conversation is about him,” He looks Ashton up and down almost judgingly, and Ashton feels the urge to tell the guy that his eyes were up on his face. “Tell me Irwin, how does it feel to be Luke Hemming’s one hundredth customer?”

Luke’s face goes white at Max’s comment, Ashton’s arm going tighter around the boy. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Ashton spits, fists clenching. He doesn’t like someone talking about Luke like that, especially someone Ashton has never met before.

“It means that your little boyfriend gets around,” Max retorts, jabbing Luke’s chest with his finger. “Lots of people willing to get on their knees for the preacher’s son around here you know. Everyone wants to corrupt him, when they don’t realize that he’s the biggest slut in town.”

Ashton doesn’t register moving. He can hear muffled yelling but he can’t exactly make out what words are being said as his world goes red and his fist swings at the boy. There’s a satisfying crunch when his fist makes contact with the boy’s nose, but Ashton’s fists don’t stop there. Max is fighting back roughly, shoving Ashton into the lockers as Luke looks on, horrified at the scene in front of him.

“Stop!” he yells, trying to get in between them. Max only shoves him backwards, Luke’s body colliding with one of the lockers and making the boy slump to the ground. Ashton yells out then, tackling Max to the carpet and allowing his fists to fly. He doesn’t care how much trouble he’s going to be getting in for taking out this kid, he just knows he’s _angry_ and that _nobody_ was going to talk to Luke like that.

He’s yanked away before he can send his fist into Max’s jaw, the principal yelling at them furiously. He doesn’t register much of what the man says, only catching that he’s in trouble and he’s being sent to his office immediately. Whomever pulled him away is gone now, allowing Ashton to turn at check on Luke.

The boy looks alright, though reasonably upset. Ashton wishes he wasn’t, wants to hold him and apologize for what happened, but he knows he’ll be in even more trouble if he doesn’t start making his way towards the principal’s office. Sending Luke a small smile, he begins to head down the hall with his head hung low and ignoring all the stares.

Max is slumped into a chair in front of the principal, holding an ice pack to his nose when Ashton walks in. He looks ashamed, but Ashton knows deep down that he isn’t the slightest bit. The principal motions towards the other chair for Ashton to sit, and once the door to the office has been shut, the principal sighs.

“Ashton,” he starts, disappointed. “I know you haven’t been here long, but I can’t have you punching a student in the hallway just because he said something you might have disagreed with. This isn’t Los Angeles; this place is peaceful.”

Ashton snorts. “I’m well aware that I’m not longer in Los Angeles. I know how to respect someone, though, and Max’s comments to Luke were uncalled for.”

“As was your violence,” The principal counters. “I’ve already called your guardian, he’s on his way here to speak with me. Max, your parents are also on their way to speak with you about your choice of words towards Mr. Hemmings.” He looks at Ashton, his face serious. “I’m giving you a warning for right now, and when David gets here we will have a discussion about what your punishment should be. Normally I would suspend you, but given the circumstances of the fight I feel it should be open for discussion with your guardian.”

Ashton groans. He can count on David to make sure he doesn’t get in too much trouble, of course, but he’s also aware of the promise he made when he moved here. He wasn’t going to get himself in trouble, he wasn’t going to give the Hood family hell with his behavior. Ashton doesn’t like breaking promises, and he hates himself for doing so.

Max’s parents arrive shortly, having their discussion with the principal before taking their son home. Ashton feels like he’s earned a short victory when he hears the boy mumbling about a week suspension, but it dies when David comes into view, and now it’s his turn to face the music.

“David,” he starts, hoping to make his guardian understand, but the man doesn’t seem to be up for discussion. He takes his own seat across from the principal and Ashton lowers his head, ready for what’s coming.

“I’m truly sorry for Ashton’s behavior Daniel,” David starts off, and Ashton doesn’t bother to look up. “He’s had a rough couple of months, we knew he was bound to explode sooner or later.” He leans closer, his voice nearly a whisper. “You see, his mother passed away a few months ago, and he’s currently staying with us until he graduates. He’s used to big city life, just as his mother was, and living small town has taken some adjusting.”

Ashton hates the way David is speaking right now. It’s almost as if he’s not even there.

“Ashton is a lot like his mother,” Ashton’s head shoots up at David’s words. “She wanted nothing to do with small town life. It wasn’t surprising when she fled town with some reckless man who got her knocked up. She just wasn’t meant- “

“Shut up.”

Both heads turn to face Ashton then. “Excuse me?” The principal asks, voice low.

Ashton glares at them both, standing up from his seat. “Punish me with detention, tell me that I screwed up by punching Max in the face. I don’t care what you end up doing to me, but don’t you dare disrespect my mother in front of me.”

David has the decency to look sheepish, but he doesn’t back down. “Ashton, you need to take responsibility. I didn’t mean…”

“You still said it,” Ashton snaps at him, ignoring the two men calling out his name as he leaves the office. He can’t be here right now; he doesn’t want to be. Instead he pushes himself past the front doors and heads towards his car, anger flowing in his veins as he starts up the engine and begins to pull out of the parking lot.

He only stops when he notices Luke standing off at the sidewalk, looking at Ashton sadly. He wonders how long Luke has been standing out here, if he skipped his classes altogether after the incident. Ashton can tell he’s been crying, and it only makes his heart hurt more.

He drives towards the sidewalk, pulling up to Luke and opening up the passenger side door. Luke slides in wordlessly, arms folded across his chest and eyes still slightly red from crying. “Thank you,” he mumbles when Ashton begins to drive away from the school. “For what you did.”

Ashton takes a hand off of the steering wheel to take Luke’s, slotting their fingers together. “I wasn’t about to let someone talk to you like that. I don’t give a shit what they think about you or what others think about you, okay? I like the Luke I’ve been getting to know, and nothing can change that.”

Luke sniffles, pulling on the sleeve of his jacket to wipe his nose. “Max is right though,” he mumbles sadly, staring out the window at the passing scenery. Ashton doesn’t know where he’s driving, just knows the two of them needed to be away from the school. “I got around. I used to mess around with guys and girls, didn’t care as long as I got my dad’s attention somehow.” His hand tightens around Ashton’s. “I’m a slut.”

Ashton eventually pulls into an empty building, hidden somewhere outside of Bomont. It’s completely vacant, the perfect place to blow of some steam after such a tiresome morning. He kills the engine before turning to Luke, looking at the boy and wiping at the tears that continue to fall from his eyes. “I don’t care if you’ve screwed everyone in this town, okay? That doesn’t make you a bad person, and it certainly doesn’t make you a slut. There is nothing wrong with any of that, okay?”

Luke shudders and shuts his eyes, more tears spilling from them and tickling down his cheek. It’s the most vulnerable Ashton’s seen him since they’ve met, the sight nearly makes his heart crumble into pieces. It was such an out of place thing for Luke. No longer was he the flirtatious, smirking boy around Ashton, but now an emotional, broken down boy.

“You don’t know,” Luke whispers, curling up in the passenger seat and tearing his hand away from Ashton. “Have you wondered why suddenly you’ve become quite the subject in this town? Why suddenly everyone is so interested in you?” At the shake of Ashton’s head, Luke snorts. “It’s because of me. ‘Luke Hemmings has bagged the new kid already!’” His eyes are harsh, hardened at his words as he tears open the passenger side door and slams it shut behind him.

Their conversation wasn’t over, Ashton knew that. He opens up the driver’s side door and gently approaches the boy, who has marched his way over to some empty barrels near the entrance way. Ashton’s grateful he didn’t rush over to him, because now Luke is tossing one of the barrels across the room, almost smacking Ashton roughly to the concrete. Luke screams as he kicks and tosses the barrels, angry tears streaming down his cheeks as he continues his rampage.

Watching Luke blow off steam, it’s a shocking sight. It reminds Ashton far too much of himself, with all the anger brewing inside of him from what life has tossed at him, and he wonders if Luke has the right idea at that moment. Nothing would make Ashton feel better than to break some things, toss around some barrels and let out a scream or two.

Picking up one of the barrels, Ashton begins to follow suit, tossing it across the warehouse and yelling as it smashes against a couple of empty boxes. It feels good, to let it out, and a new found energy surges through Ashton then.

It wasn’t exactly how he pictured spending his afternoon, but he wasn’t going to be complaining. It felt good to finally express some rage, break some things in the name of getting every built up problem out of his system and allow the world to see how _angry_ and _done_ he was. Ashton was sick of being assumed with trouble, sick of people reminding him of his mother and the decisions she made. He didn’t need to prove himself to anyone in this god forsaken town, and he certainly wasn’t going to allow them to mold him into someone they could control, like a puppet.

It’s only when the sun has begun to fall that they leave the warehouse. Both are breathing quite heavily, lounging against Ashton’s car and drinking some of the beers Ashton managed to sneak from David’s fridge in the garage back at his house. They haven’t spoken to each other since they’ve arrived, aside from wordless questions regarding drinking and relaxing.

Luke turns to him once he’s finished a can, slotting their fingers back together. “I want to show you something,” he says, Ashton raising an eyebrow at the boy’s request. “It’s a place my brother introduced to me, a place where the two of us would go and talk. It’s private, quiet.” He tugs Ashton’s hand towards the rail tracks, and Ashton wasn’t about to deny him. They’ve both got things that need to be said, now that they’ve calmed themselves down.

Luke drags him towards an old boxcar, one a little way out from the warehouse. The moon has already begun to make an appearance, peeking through some of the rusted holes of the boxcar as Luke kneels down and lights a lantern.

Once the lantern has been lit, the real beauty of what’s inside begins to show.

“Jack used to call this place the yearbook,” Luke explains, setting the lantern up high before taking a seat on the couch off towards the back. “Students of all ages would come in here, write some quotes, song lyrics, any combination of words that could express what they felt to everyone. All of them were kept anonymous, yet some of them are signed.” He points to one above his head. “Jack wrote this one.”

Ashton walks towards him, looking over Luke’s head at the chicken scratch there. _Who am I when I don’t know myself?_

“Did you write anything in here?” Ashton asks, looking around the boxcar. He can hear music faintly from the speakers near the couch, and he cracks a small smile when he sees Luke fiddling with his iPod. A soft, acoustic song begins setting the mood, Ashton distinctly hearing the beginning chords of _Meteorites_ by Lights.

Luke nods, getting up and taking Ashton’s hand. “I wrote this one over here,” he says, letting his fingertips trace the writing towards the entrance. “I wrote it in here after, um, my ex broke up with me. I spent too long allowing myself to drown in the misery he left me in, before I realized that if I moved on, the water wouldn’t fill my lungs anymore.”

Ashton smiles as he reads the words, Luke’s handwriting a little sloppy but still eligible. _If you don’t swim, you’ll drown._

“His name was Jay,” Luke begins to tell him, leading Ashton back over to the couch. Their hands stay together, and once they’ve settled into the couch Luke rests his head in Ashton’s lap. It’s comfortable for both of them, and Ashton slips his fingers through Luke’s dark blond hair as he speaks. “He wasn’t good for me. I met him after Jack died, wanting something rebellious and risky to show my dad that he still had another son, that Jack wasn’t an only child.” He sighs, eyes fluttering shut. “Jay was kind at first, sweet. Treated me better than I deserved, that was for sure. I was a spoiled child, but after Jack died, it was like my dad forgot I existed.

“I lost my virginity to Jay about six months after we started dating. At the time I felt like I was ready, you know? I was ready to give myself to this boy who I could have sworn I was in love with. At the time I didn’t think it was because I was trying to be rebellious, I thought I was truly in love with Jay. I should have known that after that, our relationship would only be about the physical aspects.”

Ashton tenses, the thought of someone using Luke for his body, his looks, making him sick. “How long did you date him?”

“Up until a few months ago,” Luke confesses. “I finally had enough of him treating me like a rag doll, and I broke it off.” He swallows, and Ashton holds his hand tighter. “He didn’t take it well, ended up beating the life out of me before driving out of town. If our relationship didn’t get my dad’s attention, that sure as hell did.”

Ashton’s fingers stop, still tangled in Luke’s hair as Luke’s words finally settle into his head. Thoughts swirl around in his mind, images of Luke’s face battered and bruised from the fists of someone he swore he loved. It makes Ashton sick, not to mention makes his chest hurt. There were plenty of people in the word that deserved the have their asses kicked, at least in Ashton’s eyes, but this gentle, kind boy lying in his lap was definitely not one of them.

“That boy better be on his way out of this town,” Ashton tells him, his tone serious. Luke nuzzles his hand with his head, a signal probably asking Ashton to drop the entire thing, but he wasn’t about to. This wasn’t something he could ignore. “I swear, Luke, if I see that bastard in person I’ll make him regret laying a finger on you.”

Luke lifts himself up from Ashton’s lap, opting instead to curl into Ashton’s side. “I don’t want to you resulting to violence, Ash. Everything was already handled after what happened, no need to hunt Jay down and remind him of his slut of an ex.”

“Stop calling yourself that,” Ashton demands. “There is nothing wrong with enjoying sex with people, okay?”

Luke snorts, patting Ashton’s chest. “When you are the son of the pastor it is. Especially when your ex manages to tell everyone in town about your promiscuity and gets you labeled as the town whore.” The tears seem to be making their return, and Ashton wraps his arms around Luke a little tighter. “That was months ago, yet my father still won’t bother with me. Mom cares, still calls me her son and loves me, but I don’t think my father wants to acknowledge me as anything other than his heathen of a son.”

“Fuck your dad,” Ashton says boldly, making Luke gasp softly. “You know what your father is missing out on, cutting you out of his life? He’s missing an incredible boy whose heart is so big and it breaks so easily. Your dad may be preaching the love God gives but he doesn’t know the first thing about loving his own son.” Taking a breath, he removes his arm from around Luke. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to explode like that.”

Luke stays silent. The only thing that can be heard in the boxcar is the echoing music from the stereo.

_And maybe we sound young and naïve, and maybe we just want to believe_

“Do you want to kiss me Ashton?” Luke asks in a small voice, nervous.

It doesn’t take long for Ashton to answer. “Someday.”

Luke raises an eyebrow at the boy, meeting his eyes with curiosity. “What’s up with this someday shit?” Ashton wonders if he means to sound demanding, but there was a good chance he didn’t mean to be.

“I want to kiss you,” Ashton confesses, not only to Luke but himself. “Right now just isn’t the time for that. You just told me about your ex, about how much he ruined you. The complications with your dad, those issues are not just going to vanish.” He cups Luke’s face, resting their foreheads together. “I don’t want to kiss you when you are still healing. For right now, I just want to help with the process. Is that alright?”

Luke doesn’t give him an answer. Tearing his face out of Ashton’s hands he heads towards the entrance of the boxcar and leaps out, heading off towards the tracks. Ashton watches as he stops in the middle of one of the tracks, looking back at Ashton with adrenaline pumping through his veins and excitement sparkling in his eyes.

“We don’t just come out here for making out and writing quotes you know,” he shouts at Ashton, who is slowly making his way towards Luke. A train bellows in the distance, making the boy jump. “Sometimes, when we grow tired of the music and the silence, we come out to the tracks and play chicken.”

Ashton’s eyes widen at Luke’s words, and as the train grows louder his heart begins to thud faster. It’s in view now, turning the corner and heading towards the lot.

Right in Luke’s direction.

“Luke,” Ashton speaks softly. “Get off the tracks.”

Luke merely scoffs at him. “I’m just having _fun.”_

The train is getting closer, louder, and Ashton is growing frightened. Luke cannot be this stubborn, can he? “Luke, get your ass off the tracks!” The boy only continues to ignore him, and now his eyes are shut as he seemingly anticipates getting hit. Adrenaline floods Ashton’s veins as he sprints forward, wrapping his arms around Luke’s waist and sending both of them tumbling down into the dirt on the other side of the tracks. The train rushes bye, horn blaring loudly and all Ashton can hear aside from his heavily beating heart is Luke’s ragged breathing.

“How am I supposed to kiss you someday if you pull shit like that?” Ashton asks, looking down at Luke’s frightened blue eyes. They soften at Ashton’s words, and before Ashton can react, Luke’s arms are wrapped around him in a tight embrace.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” Luke admits, mumbling into Ashton’s neck. “I was into the moment, I’m sorry.”

Ashton doesn’t say a word. He just holds Luke until the boy calms down, listening to his heartbeat grow steady and his breathing calm.

“Let’s get you home.” He decides after a while, taking Luke’s hand in his and walking the two of them back towards Ashton’s car. He knows David and Joy are going to have his head for coming back so late, but he doesn’t seem to be thinking about that. All that’s going through his mind is _Luke._

***

The door clicks gently behind him, Ashton double checking that the lock is in place before he tiptoes silently through the front room. It’s late, far past the curfew he knows was set into place, and the last thing he wants is to wake up what is most likely to be an angry Joy. It wasn’t like he was purposely trying to be late in getting back home. He had to make sure Luke got home safely, especially after how shaken up the boy was after what had happened at the train station.

Besides, Ashton’s cheeks were still a little red from the soft kiss Luke had placed on his cheek as he departed from the vehicle, with a farewell and a promise to see Ashton again tomorrow. If Ashton was being honest, nothing could ruin his mood after that.

He’s got one foot on the first step of the stairs when he hears someone clear their throat. Flinching, he turns towards them and smiles sheepishly as Joy comes into view, wearing a nightgown and her hair a mess from sleep. She doesn’t appear to be angry at least, though Ashton knows she’s probably still got a lecture on the tip of her tongue; not just for being late, but for what happened at school as well.

“You are late,” she points out, arms crossed. “I hope it’s because you were being a gentleman with Luke and not because you were out doing drugs or something.”

Ashton nearly snorts at Joy’s words, the idea of her thinking of him doing something so dangerous seeming ridiculous. “We lost track of time, so I gave him a ride home.” He steps off of the stairs, approaching Joy and taking a deep breath. “Did David talk to you about school?”

Joy nods, a sad smile on her face. “I’m not angry with you, if that’s what you are thinking. In fact,” she steps forward, wrapping her arms around Ashton and hugging him tightly. “I’m proud of you for standing up for Luke. Half the things I hear about that boy just make me so angry, I’m glad you did something about it.”

Ashton raises an eyebrow, though he hugs Joy back nonetheless. “Is David mad at me?”

“Oh David,” Joy scoffs, waving the name off as she releases Ashton. “He doesn’t think before he speaks half of the time. I think it’s where Calum gets it.” She kindly smiles at Ashton before pecking his cheek, walking back towards her bedroom. “We’ll talk in the morning. Get some rest, alright?”

Ashton nods, bidding Joy a goodnight before heading up the stairs towards his bedroom. As he closes his bedroom door, he shoots Luke a quick text saying that he’s made it home before changing into his pajamas. He leaves his bedside lamp on, grabbing one of his textbooks and opening it up to a page he’d been reviewing for class.

Of course, his phone vibrating with a brand new text is a good excuse to not study.

 **From:** _Luke_

_Hope Joy and David didn’t give you too much trouble. Thank you for taking me home x_

**To:** _Luke_

_It was no problem, and Joy understood. Get some rest, you’ve had quite the night_

He debates adding a single kiss to the end of the text like Luke did, but chooses against it last minute. It’s ridiculous how head over heels he is for this boy, it truly was.

 **From:** _Luke_

 _Thank you, though, for tonight. How about I return the favor this weekend? I know a place where we can dance_ AND _drink without getting in trouble ;)_

***

When Luke said he knew of a place where they could dance, Ashton had figured it would be somewhere around town. In Los Angeles there had always been hidden hangouts where they could hide away and party without the suspecting eyes of parents or law enforcement. It took him by surprise that the place Luke was thinking of was about an hour from Bomont, far outside the city limits and far from anyone who could even try and stop them from doing what they love.

Being the only one with a license, Ashton had all of them piled up into his car. Michael and Calum insisted on sharing the backseat together, in which Luke had cracked a joke about them making out the entire drive. Ashton didn’t mind. Luke would have to sit in the passenger seat, and Ashton certainly wasn’t going to complain about the boy being closer to him.

“What is this place like?” Ashton asks as they pass out of the city limits, windows rolled down as he turns his music up a little higher. “Is it some sort of club?”

Luke shakes his head, playing with Ashton’s free hand. “It’s actually a bar? Not the dingy kind that you might be thinking we have around here though. There is far more dancing going on then there is drinking there, and no one really bothers to check I.D. there either.” He kisses Ashton’s fingers before intertwining their hands. “It’s the perfect place for us rebellious boys who just want to dance.”

Ashton snorts at the sarcastic tone in his crush’s voice, keeping his eyes focused on the road in front of him. “Well damn, I’m supposed to be driving tonight! Guess you’ll have to enjoy a few beers for me.” He winks at Luke with a devilish grin, and the boy laughs, throwing his head back into the seat. Ashton swears it’s the most beautiful look Luke has ever had on him, head thrown back as laughter spills from his mouth. He’s happy, glorious. It’s Ashton’s favorite version of Luke.

“Maybe I can finally get Calum to dance with me,” Michael mentions, tickling Calum’s sides and making the boy squeal. “Boy insists he can’t dance, but I know that’s just a load of shit.”

“It’s not!” Calum weakly protests. “I wasn’t the one who was blessed with perfect dancing genes, Mali was! Besides, I prefer watching you dance. It’s sexy.” He kisses Michael’s nose, which causes the boy to blush adorably and tickle Calum some more.

Ashton’s never felt more content in his life.

***

The bar is heavily crowded when they get there, loud country music blasting from the speakers as various people have gathered onto the dance floor with bright smiles. Glasses clicking together and loud cheers echo in Ashton’s ears as he takes a hold on Luke’s hand, allowing the boy to guide him around the crowded space.

“Line dancing?” Ashton questions, the opening notes to a Luke Bryan song beginning to play as the crowd cheers. “I don’t think I’ve ever done that before.”

Luke only laughs, tugging Ashton close to him and grinning. “Looks like I’m gonna have to teach you a few things then, don’t I?” With a magical twinkle in his blue eyes, he’s off towards the dance floor and joining in on the dance, blending in perfectly with the crowd. Ashton laughs cheerfully as he watches the boy swing his hips to the beat, a bright smile on his face as the music completely takes him over.

“You guys coming?” Ashton asks Michael and Calum, making the two tear their eyes off of each other for a brief moment. Michael nods furiously, grabbing Calum’s hand and attempting to drag him towards the dance floor.

“C’mon babe!” he insists, a pout evident on his face. “Just one little dance? For me?”

Calum shakes his head, adjusting the hat atop of his head. “I’ll be fine; I’m going to get us some drinks.” He kisses Michael’s nose before smiling sadly. “Go have fun, I’ll be alright.”

Michael doesn’t seem to be buying what Calum says, but sighs anyway. Calum almost misses the little smirk his boyfriend suddenly puts on, but before he can say a word Michael has already snatched his hat and placed it on his head, backing up towards the dance floor and winking.

“You’ll be the death of me Michael Clifford!” he shouts into the crowd, Michael’s laughter echoing from within the bodies. Ashton giggles at Calum’s words before bidding his friend farewell and heading towards the dance floor as well, joining his friends in their dance.

It’s like the night at the drive in all over again; the atmosphere is something Ashton is soaking in, exhilarating and making him a completely different person. Everyone around him has the biggest smiles on their faces, moving their bodies to the music in a perfectly executed dance. Some are even singing along to the song playing, and Ashton can see from his spot that Luke is one of them.

Ashton moves his way through the crowd, pushing past a couple of more excited dancers and grabbing Luke by his hips. The boy yelps a little in surprise, only to recover instantly when his eyes lock with Ashton’s. “Having fun?” he yells over the loud music, hands resting on Ashton’s hips.

Ashton doesn’t give him an exact answer, instead allowing himself to get lost in the music once more. Country music has never really been his forte, himself being more into more guitars, but it didn’t matter. It seemed as long as Luke was with him, close and dancing with the same passion Ashton had, any song fit the moment.

He can feel Luke’s breath on his lips then, the boy so close that if Ashton even moved forward an inch they would be kissing. It was all too tempting to seal the gap, capture Luke’s soft, eager lips in his, but of course, something had to break them apart. It always seemed to happen.

“That is _my_ man!” Ashton hears Calum shout, making him turn his attention away from Luke and towards where Calum’s voice has come from. He gasps when he sees a bigger guy punch Calum square in the jaw, sending the poor boy falling to the floor in a heap. Michael stands behind the guy, gasping as he watches his boyfriend collide with the floor.

Luke and Ashton are already making their way over to the commotion when they see Michael grab a bottle of beer, smashing it against the back of the brute’s head. “Don’t you _dare_ hurt him!” he yells at the guy, who is gripping the back of his head. Michael looks down towards Calum, gathering the boy up and cupping his face. “Are you alright?”

A crowd begins to gather around them, and Luke clears his throat. “We should leave,” he mumbles to Ashton, disappointment evident in his tone. He places his hand against Ashton’s bicep and tugs the boy towards the exit. “C’mon.”

Michael helps Calum up to his feet, keeping a steady arm around his waist and helping the boy towards the car. The beginnings of a black eye are starting to appear around Calum’s eye, and Ashton knows it’s going to be one killer headache during the drive home. He just hopes Joy will understand when Ashton has to explain what happened.

“What on Earth got you all riled up Cal?” Luke asks from the passenger seat, fiddling a bit with the radio as they drive peacefully back towards Bomont. “Last I saw you, you were off to the side drinking some beer and the next thing I know a guy is taking you _out.”_

Calum rests his head on Michael’s shoulder, allowing the boy to kiss his bruised eye. “He was dancing with my boy,” he explains quietly, a little sheepish about his actions. “Can’t say I was a fan of him doing that, and I might have gone a little overboard with the shouting and shoving.” He laces his and Michael’s fingers together as Michael grins down at him. “It was worth it.”

Luke laughs, resting back against the passenger seat and allowing his eyes to close. The car is silent now, save for the sounds of classic rock playing from the car radio. Ashton can hear Michael and Calum whispering in the back seat, probably something sickingly sweet, but it still brings a smile to Ashton’s face. Their relationship was definitely something to aspire for, a person who was basically your soulmate. Ashton longed for someone who could make him feel such a way.

He looks towards Luke in the passenger seat, where the boy has now turned his head to face the bridge they are crossing, and wonders if Luke was that person.

“I hate this bridge,” Luke mutters, expression solemn. “It’s fucking creepy.”

“This bridge has nothing good about it anymore,” Calum mumbles. “Remember when we used to come here and hang around? When Mali and Jack would sneak us out of the house and let us hang out with the older kids?” His eyes grow wet with unshed tears, and he sniffles. “Now I just see this bridge and wish I could go back in time.”

Ashton doesn’t say a word. He knows right now anything he says won’t help with the pain of the past. It was easy to put the pieces together of why the two of them were speaking so bitterly about this place, and he definitely didn’t need to voice his own thoughts right now. Instead, he reaches for Luke’s hand and holds it tightly, almost for assurance. Luke lifts his head off the window, shooting Ashton a soft smile as he squeezes Ashton’s hand back.

“You would have loved Jack,” Luke tells him, and Ashton can tell he wants to cry too. “He was a little like you, with the rebellious heart and caring soul. I wish you could have met him.”

Ashton squeezes Luke’s hand once more, returning his eyes to the road. “I’m sure he was wonderful Luke. Just like his little brother.”

He doesn’t get a response to his words, but when Luke leans forward in his seat and pecks his cheek, it’s good enough.

***

Ashton has officially lived in Bomont for three months when the idea finally cements itself into his head. “I’m going to fight the ban on public dancing in Bomont.”

Calum looks up at him from his position on the couch, his nose having been stuck in his textbook as the two studied for their upcoming exam in their shared math class. The night before had been Calum whining about how he was going to fail the class if he didn’t start studying, and Ashton had made him a promise that he would help him out as much as he can. It was a day of just the two of them, with no Michael or Luke as distractions.

“Are you now?” Calum says flatly, making Ashton roll his eyes. “Ashton, you do realize the town council won’t listen to you, right? Especially since it’s currently lead by Pastor Hemmings.” He returns back to his textbook with a huff, but Ashton won’t let the subject drop so easily. He gets up from his own spot in David’s chair and snatches the book out of Calum’s hands, making the boy look at him.

“I don’t care who leads that council,” Ashton continues, closing the textbook and setting it next to his best friend. “I want to be the one who opens their eyes and makes them realize that their stupid law against something as innocent as public dancing is incredibly ludicrous and I refuse to stand idly by and allow them to stop us all from having fun.”

“Okay, explain this to me,” Calum speaks up, crossing his arms. “How are you going to prove to a council of older men, who of which lost his oldest son because of ‘dancing’, that it’s a good idea to remove the ban? How are you going to prove to them all that removing the ban will help support the town in any way?”

Ashton’s grabs his best friend’s wrist, pulling up off the couch and grinning mischievously. “By proving to them that dancing is harmless fun, but before I can do that,” His hands land on Calum’s shoulders, gripping the boy tightly. “Someone is going to have to learn how to dance.”

***

Teaching Calum to dance seemed like an easy thing to do at the time. The boy had the body for dancing, Ashton would admit, and while Ashton knew it rarely came naturally to a person, he at least figured Calum would have some of his sister’s dancing blood in him.

He was sadly mistaken.

“Calum stop being so stiff!” he instructs his friend, placing his hands on his friend’s hips and moving them slightly to the beat of the song playing from Ashton’s stereo. “You’ve watched Michael dance plenty of times, seen him lose himself in the music! That’s what you need to do!”

Calum groans, stopping his movements and staring Ashton straight in the eye. “You know what? No.” He marches over towards the stereo, cutting Denise Williams off right before the can tell them who they should be hearing for. “Mali was the dancer in my family, not me, okay? I’d rather stick to the background and cheer Michael on when he dances.”

“Is that really what you want?” Ashton scoffs. “What if, when you and Michael eventually elope, he wants to dance _with you_ at your wedding? What are you going to do then?” It’s then that Calum conveniently finds his shoes far more interesting than their conversation, making Ashton roll his eyes and turn the music back on. “C’mon, give it one more shot, for Michael.”

Calum shakes his head, choosing to instead take a seat beside the stereo and bury his head into his hands. Ashton shuts the music off this time, kneeling before his best friend, his _brother,_ and removes the boy’s rough hands away from his face. “I’m pretty sure Mali would love to have seen her brother dance, don’t you? Do it for her.”

They hadn’t talked about Mali, ever. Ashton figured it was a sensitive topic around the Hood family, having their eldest daughter ripped from them unexpectedly. Ashton at least got to prepare himself to lose his mother. The Hood family didn’t have any chance of saying goodbye, didn’t get to find out what Mali’s last words were before they wrecked. Calum had nothing left of his sister except a memory.

Calum looks at him, the beginning of tears sparkling in his whiskey eyes, and Ashton knows he’s touched a sore spot. “I miss her so much Ashton,” Calum sniffles, throat thick. “I’d give anything for her to be back here, alive.”

Ashton pulls him up by his hands, steadying Calum onto his feet and smiling softly at his best friend. “Then fight to have this law revoked. Bring back the pastime that made your sister smile and inspired her to get the hell out of this town.” He walks back to the stereo system, starting the song once more. “Dance, for her.”

It’s clumsy, that is for certain, but once the beat seems to resonate with him, Calum begins to dance. He moves his feet to the sounds of ‘Let’s Hear It for The Boy’, swaying his head a little as a soft smile grows onto his face. Ashton grins big, watching as his friend tumbles his way through the song with a newfound confidence.

“See?” Ashton laughs, dimples poking out as he claps along to the beat of the song. “Wait until Michael gets an eye of this!”

Calum laughs, wiggling his hips a little and chuckling. “Speaking of boyfriends, why isn’t Luke helping with this whole dance lesson? He’s a damn good dancer himself if you ask me.”

Ashton rolls his eyes at his friend’s comment, thought his heart does flutter a bit at the mention of Luke being his boyfriend. He definitely wouldn’t mind Luke being that, but right now that wasn’t his main focus. “His dad won’t let him out of the house I guess. Something about not trusting his friends after we got him home late that night we went to the bar out of town.” While Ashton can’t stand how strict Pastor Hemmings was regarding what his son did, he also could see where the man was coming from. Hell, Ashton’s mother always worried about him when he was out and about late at night. Parental worries, that’s all it was.

“If only his dad knew about the things Luke did behind his back,” Calum scoffs, shuffling his feet across the ground in one of the weirdest dance moves Ashton had ever laid eyes upon. “Pretty sure Luke would find himself being locked in the church reciting bible verses every night until God forgave him.”

Ashton’s mind wanders back to the night in the Yearbook, how Luke had opened up to him about his reputation around town. The hurt and aching in the boy’s eyes as he spoke about what people whispered about him, how untrue every word was, it made Ashton think about who Luke told about it all. He had only assumed Luke was good friends with Michael and Calum, Michael especially since they sat with each other every Sunday at church. Maybe Luke wasn’t as close to Calum as Ashton had previously assumed.

“You don’t seriously believe that shit, do you?” Ashton blurts out before he can stop himself. “About Luke being a slut and everything.” He’s hoping Calum doesn’t think ill-minded of Luke, considering that everything being said about the boy wasn’t even true. Nothing but a disgusting rumor intended to ruin an already vulnerable boy.

Calum merely shrugs at Ashton’s words, practically unfazed by the subtle harshness in Ashton’s tone. “Luke is more than meets the eye, Ash. You’ve only known him for three months. I’ve known him since we were kids, I know the kind of person he is.” He stops dancing in favor of folding his arms across his broad chest, his face turning serious. “Just because Luke and I have lost touch the past three years doesn’t mean he’s not still my friend. He tells me things.”

“Like what?” Ashton snaps, defensive. “What has he told you over the past three years? Has he talked with you about Jack? The way his dad has treated him ever since? Tell me Calum, has he even bothered to sit down with you and talk about all the shit he’s bottled in?”

“Don’t act like you know all about him Ashton,” Calum barks back. “You weren’t here when the two of us were falling apart because we both became only children in the blink of an eye. You weren’t here when Luke had trouble sleeping at night because his brother was fucking dead. You weren’t here when I ended up losing my best friend to some fucking prick who had more control over Luke than anyone else.” He stomps over to Ashton and gets into his face, making Ashton stumble backwards at the force. “You think because the two of you have been flirting and sneaking off that you know everything, but in reality you don’t know shit about who he is.”

There tension between them feels thick, and Ashton wonders momentarily if they could choke on it. He’s never fought with Calum before, and fighting with him now just feels so _wrong._ He wishes he could take his words back, but with them already floating in the air between them he knows it’s too late. Besides, he meant every word of what he said, even if they did inflict pain onto his friend.

The tension breaks at the sound of Joy’s voice coming from the back door, making them turn towards her. All the anger evaporates from them as they take in the concern she wears, how her voice trembles as she tells them, “Michael’s on the phone. Something happened to Luke.”

 Ashton doesn’t bother to look at Calum’s reaction to the news, already darting towards his car and starting up the engine. He assumes Luke would be at Michael’s, especially if it was the boy who called to inform them something had happened. He’s got his hand on the shifter, ready to reverse when his passenger side door is being opened roughly, Calum sliding into the passenger seat. He doesn’t bother to say anything to the boy, ignoring his presence all together as he puts the car in reverse and begins to head towards Bomont.

***

Ashton’s never been to Michael’s house the entire time he’s lived in Bomont. Most of the hangouts with the four of them have always been at the Hood residence, the four of them just chilling in the shed with Ashton’s car drinking bottles of root beer. Michael had insisted it was easier than hanging at his house because there was nothing special about his home.

Pulling up against the curb, Ashton doesn’t see why Michael would say that. The house is huge, a gorgeous garden out front lining the front porch and a white picket fence around the yard. The grass looks neatly trimmed and a bright, healthy green. The house itself looks practically Victorian, older but with new refurbishments that make it beautiful and modern. Ashton hasn’t seen a house like this since he's lived in Los Angeles, back when he would walk past the rich neighborhoods on his way home from school.

Michael is greeting them outside when they reach the porch, worry etched onto his face as he nods towards the house. “He’s in the living room with my mom,” he says calmly, reaching his hand out towards Calum and taking his boyfriend’s hand. “I guess Jay decided to pay him a visit when he was on his way here. He’s refusing to tell the police though.”

Ashton stiffens at the mention of Luke’s ex, anger flooding his veins at the thought of what Jay could have possibly done to his boy. He remembers what Luke told him back in the Yearbook, how his past relationship with Jay was anything but healthy, and he feels his fists clench involuntarily at the memory.

He steps into the living room of Michael’s home, spotting Luke on the couch right away. A woman is crouched beside him, dabbing a cut across Luke’s forehead gently with a damp towel as Luke hisses at the contact. His eye looks black, and he definitely has a busted lip from the looks of it all. The pain he’s in shows on his face, and Ashton just wants to reach over towards him and pull him in for a tight hug, protecting him.

“Ash,” Luke groans out, the woman moving away from his forehead to look over in Ashton’s direction. “I told Michael not to call you.”

“Well I’m not exactly a great listener,” Michael snorts, walking over to Luke and taking a seat beside him, ruffling his hair. “Besides, I knew without you telling me that Ashton would be the one you wanted by your side. You can thank me later.” He turns to the woman then, offering her a gentle smile. “Mom, can you give us a minute?”

The woman, Mrs. Clifford, nods, bidding the boys farewell before she disappears up the stairs. Ashton has already taken a seat on the other side of Luke, his hand gently reaching out and lightly touching Luke’s. The boy is shaking, visibly, and Ashton laces their hands together in an attempt to calm him down.

“You’re welcome to stay here tonight if you want,” Michel tells him, placing items back into the first aid kit his mother had got out to tend to Luke. “I mean, you should tell your parents what happened, Lord knows your mom would be worried.”

“Dad won’t give a shit,” Luke’s words are harsh, cruel, and Ashton feels awful. “Pretty sure the first thing that would come out of his mouth would be ‘Jack would have fought back’ or some shit.” He tears his hand out of Ashton’s grasp, opting to instead fold his arms over his chest and fall into Ashton’s chest. “I’m too scared to go home regardless.”

Ashton puts a comforting hand on the small of Luke’s back, thumb rubbing circles through the material of the oversized sweatshirt Luke has on. He wonders if the boy borrowed it from Michael, because the sweatshirt itself is engulfing the boy’s frame completely. “Because of Jay?” Luke nods into his chest, and Ashton’s heart sinks. “Then come stay with me, at the Hood’s house. I’m sure Joy wouldn’t mind.”

Calum nods in agreement, patting Luke’s knee. “My mom would love to house you for the night, or at least until you feel ready to go back home. She’s really taken a liking to you the past few years, it shouldn’t be an issue at all.”

Luke seems to be surprised people are all caring for him, a look of astonishment capturing his features as his eyes glance between his three friends. “You guys mean it? I don’t really have a change of clothes or anything.”

Michael scoffs, waving his hand dismissively at Luke’s comment. “That won’t be an issue at all, okay Hemmings? Pretty sure the three of us could care less about you borrowing our clothes.” He tugs on the edge of Luke’s sweatshirt playfully. “For example, this is mine you thief.”

Luke grins before laughing loudly, a beautiful sound in Ashton’s ears that tell him Luke is happy once more. His friends made him happy. He’s buried his face into Ashton’s chest, humming contently before saying, “Fine, I guess I’ll stay with Ashton and Calum for the night.” He looks up admiringly at Ashton, an emotion Ashton can’t quite detect shining in the boy’s blue eyes. “That alright with you?”

Ashton’s heart swells as he looks at this boy, and he thinks that’s the moment he realizes that Luke Hemmings was one of the best things that’s happened to him in this town. “If it makes you feel safe, of course.”

Luke hums once more, shutting his eyes and resting himself back into Ashton’s chest. “It would.”

***

Luke’s mother calls them when they arrive at the Hood residence, in a panic. Ashton let’s Luke make his way upstairs as he speaks with her, assuring her that he was alright and why he was staying with his friends instead of heading home. Ashton stays in the living room with Calum, an apology for earlier resting on the tip of his tongue.

He knows he had no right to talk as if he knows Luke; he’s only, truly, known the boy for three months. Calum has had far more time with him, and for Ashton to tell Calum he knew nothing about his best friend was uncalled for. He knew it.

“Calum,” he says, making the boy look up from his cell phone and meet Ashton’s eyes. He’s taken a seat on the couch, probably taking to scrolling through his Facebook feed, but Ashton knows if he doesn’t speak now he’ll put it off. “About earlier, in the car to Michael’s? I shouldn’t have acted like I knew everything about Luke. Truth is I don’t, but I would like to.”

“I don’t know Luke and he’s been my best friend for a long time,” Calum says, resting his phone on the couch cushion beside him. “Even before Jack he’s been a pretty closed off person, Ashton. It just seems that after the accident he became even more locked away.” He looks towards the stairs, a sad smile on his lips. “Meeting you helped him open up more, but after today I’m scared he’s going to lock himself back up again.”

Ashton looks up towards the stairs, the sounds of Luke walking around up there echoing down into the living room. His voice is low as he speaks with whom Ashton assumes is his mother. “I really do care about him Calum, but I know you do to. That’s what he needs right now, alright? For us to show him that we care about him and we are here.”

“I had Michael,” Calum speaks softly, hands clasped together as he stares at the carpet beneath his feet. “The night we found out Mali had died, he raced all the way over here just to make sure I was alright. My parents were holed up downstairs with the police, but I had run up to Mali’s room and cried. When Michael got there, I just allowed him to hold me as I cried, and I knew how lucky I was to have him, to have someone there to listen to me as I grieved.” He meets Ashton’s eyes then, his whiskey eyes filled with tears. “Luke had _no one._ I could have gone to him, spoken with him, but this stupid part of me blamed his brother for what happened. For a solid two months I _hated_ him. I didn’t realize how alone he was until he met Jay, and he became someone I didn’t even know anymore. He was reckless, trouble.”

Ashton hears the stairs creaking as Luke comes down them, wiping at his eyes. His cell phone is in his grasp, and when he looks up to face his two friends in the living room he stops short as he sees the tears in Calum’s eyes. “Cal, what’s wrong?”

No answer spills from Calum’s lips. Instead the boy rises to his feet, taking Luke into his arms and holding him so tight, Ashton fears Calum will break him. “You mean the world to me, Luke Hemmings, okay? Don’t you dare think for even a second that I won’t be around when you need me.”

Luke chuckles softly into Calum’s neck, patting his friend’s back as more tears, happy tears, spill from his eyes. It’s an intimate moment between the two friends, and Ashton begins to wonder if he’s intruding. Quietly, he steps out of the room and up the stairs, leaving the two boys alone to cry and forgive.

“Do you love him?”

Ashton jumps, not expecting Joy to be at the top of stairs. She’s dressed in what Ashton can only guess is her yard work clothes, a maternal smile on her face as she looks at him. “I won’t judge you if you say yes, you know. I’ve just noticed how protective you are of him; how much you seem to smile just when he’s around you.”

He didn’t even notice that himself. Sure, he knew his days were better when Luke was around, when he had a chance to see the boy smile or laugh. Of course, the past three months he’s practically written that off as a silly crush, something that could be fun for a while. Flirtatious fun, nothing else. Maybe he needed to open his eyes.

“I don’t know,” he answers honestly, quietly. Truth was that he knew his feelings for Luke were definitely more than friendly, they always have been. To go as far as love, though, was something completely foreign in Ashton’s eyes. He’s never seen love in front of him, though he’s sure what Michael and Calum have is pretty damn close. His parents never had love, he’s never loved anyone he’s encountered in his years. How was he supposed to know what love even was?

Joy seems to understand his frustrations as she nods her head, placing a hand on Ashton’s cheek and stroking it gently with her thumb. “Yes you do,” she says. “You might be saying you don’t know, but I can just tell.” She removes her hand before walking past him on the stairs, turning around once more before saying, “I think he has a right to know, don’t you think?”

She’s gone before Ashton can protest.

***

There’s a soft knock on Ashton’s bedroom door that night, making Ashton look towards his alarm clock and groan. He didn’t realize it was past midnight, definitely hadn’t been his plan to be up at such a late hour. He’d been to engrossed in his speech for the town council, hadn’t even realized that time had escaped him and of course, he had school the next day.

“Come in,” he calls softly, careful not to wake any others that were currently in the house. He figured it was only Calum anyways, the boy usually having trouble sleeping. Sometimes he’d come to Ashton’s room to talk, most of the time Ashton could faintly hear him walking around the house.

So he’s a little surprised to find Luke at his door, looking awfully cuddly and tired in a long sleeved sleep shirt and pajama bottoms that seemed to be a little short on his long legs. “I saw your light on,” Luke mumbles, rubbing at his eyes. “What are you still doing up anyway?”

Ashton rubs his own eyes, his own tiredness beginning to get to him. “Was working on my speech, for when I finally confront the town council about their stupid ban on public dancing.” He leans back in his desk chair and yawns. “Didn’t realize just how late it was.” He glances at Luke, who has currently found his bare toes quite fascinating. “What are you doing up? Nightmare?”

Luke nods sheepishly, hiding his face behind the long sleeves of his shirt. “Embarrassing, I know.” He mutters, sounding like a small child.  Timid, small. “I figured, since I saw your light still on, I could stay in here with you.”

Ashton’s heart skips at Luke’s words, and he nods gently. “Of course you can,” he says, patting his bed for Luke to take a seat. He gets up from his desk chair, moving towards his bed so he can sit beside Luke. The boy stares at his hands as Ashton crosses his legs onto the bed, moving his hand to Luke’s to gain the boy’s attention once more. “Talk to me, okay? I’m listening.”

“It’s about Jay,” Luke says, voice scared and small. It takes Ashton back to the Yearbook when he first heard about Jay, how anger had flooded his veins at the very thought of Luke’s ex. That exact feeling comes rushing back now, but it’s mixed with something else that wasn’t there before; hurt. Hurt because while he knew Luke was abused before, it felt different having now seen just what that asshole really _could_ do. It made him want to track this Jay guy down and ruin him. “You already know just how awful he was, how much of a mess he made of me. Today felt like a cruel reminder that he would always be there, haunting me and reminding me that I wasn’t worth anything.” He rests his head against Ashton’s shoulder, breathing slowly. “My nightmare was about him finding me again, finishing what he started.”

Ashton’s heart sinks down to his stomach at Luke’s words. He remembers what it was like to have dreams about death, dying, having experienced them first had after his mother had passed. His dreams showed him what it would have been like if it had been him that had died, not his mother. He remembers waking up in cold sweats and bursting into tears, and having no one to comfort him in his time of agony.

Luke’s nightmares were worse; he wasn’t imagining himself dying in place of someone else, he was imagining his past coming back and finally swallowing him whole. He wonders how long Luke’s past has haunted him, if he’s been like that since he and Jay started dating. It hurts him to know that the dreams would be worse now, and Ashton finds a new reason to entirely loathe his boy’s ex.

“I won’t let him lay a finger on you,” Ashton whispers, kissing Luke’s hair. “From now on you will always have me with you, alright? I promise I’m going to protect you from that piece of shit, always, okay?” He means every word that spills from his mouth, links their fingers together and kisses Luke’s hair once more to show he means it.

Luke raises his head up, ocean blue connecting with honey as their eyes lock. “Ashton,” he whispers, looking at the boy with trust, love. “You said you might kiss me someday. Is there a chance that someday could be today?”

There’s a silence between them, nearly deafening to Ashton’s ears. His hand has moved from Luke’s, reaching up instead to cup to the boy’s face gently and lead him to Ashton’s awaiting lips. Their lips brush tenderly at first, but it’s Luke who finally closes the gap between them, slotting their lips together perfectly.

Kissing Luke had been something Ashton had, embarrassingly enough, been daydreaming about since he met the boy. He couldn’t resist the thoughts of how soft the boy’s lips possibly were; how gentle Luke would be when the time came. It’s safe to say his dream had come true in the best way, because kissing Luke was definitely better than anything he could have conjured up.

Kissing Luke felt like the start of a new chapter in Ashton’s life at Bomont, and he was eager to see what could follow it.

Luke’s hands spread out on Ashton’s stomach, sliding underneath his shirt as their lips continue to move together. Ashton doesn’t bother to protest as Luke’s warm hands trace over Ashton’s torso, thumbs stroking his stomach softly. Ashton has his hands gently placed on Luke’s waist, keeping the boy steady as they kiss.

Luke pulls away finally, and Ashton feels himself stuck in a daze. Luke Hemmings had always had some kind of effect on him, and Ashton was in love with the feeling. “Mind if I sleep in here tonight?” he asks, and there are no undertones in his words; no suggestions towards something further, just an innocent request.

Ashton nods, reaching over and shutting his desk lamp off before pulling the covers up and over him and Luke. The boy is quick to curl himself into Ashton’s chest, head resting against the boy’s heart. “Your heart is beating really fast right now,” Luke comments, arms wrapping around Ashton as he places a soft kiss to Ashton’s jaw. “Nearly as fast as mine.”

A tired grin reaches Ashton’s face as he finds Luke’s lips in the dark, connecting his own with them. There doesn’t need to be any words spoken at the moment about how they feel, of what could come of their relationship after the night ends and the sun rises in the morning. For right now, Ashton is quite content with where they are now, wrapped in each other’s arms and falling asleep to each other’s heartbeats.

***

It's talking that rises Ashton from his slumber the next morning, voices quiet as if taking him into consideration. Ashton merely shrugs it off and rolls to his other side, reaching his arm out to pull Luke close to him but his arm hits nothing but his bed sheets, the space where Luke had been all night now vacated.

“Lu?” Ashton mumbles sleepily, peeking open his tired eyes and searching his room. He notices Luke sitting over at his desk, resting against the chair as he speaks with someone quietly over the phone. Ashton can tell the conversation must be something serious, as Luke’s brows furrow as the person on the other end speaks.

Luke must have noticed Ashton has woken up, because now he’s turning in his chair and looking at the boy with such adoration. “Tell Dad that I’ll be home later today, okay? Yeah, I know he wants to talk, but I got to go, okay? Tell him I’ll talk when I get home.” He hangs up the phone before any further conversation can begin, placing it on Ashton’s desk before he walks towards the bed and rests on top of Ashton. “Good morning.”

As the memory of last night flashes through his mind, Ashton reaches a hand up and plays with the mussed long locks of Luke’s hair, admiring the boy and locking away this image of him into memory. It’s the most beautiful Luke has ever been, nearly angelic in the morning light. “Good morning,” he responds sleepily. “Was that your mom?”

Luke nods, resting his chin against Ashton’s chest and leaning into the boy’s touch. “She wanted to make sure I had a good night’s rest. She says she’s worried sick about me, wants to know that I’m alright.” He leans forward more, brushing their noses together. “Told her that I was perfectly fine here with you.”

Ashton blushes, unable to contain his fondness. He presses his lips softly against Luke’s, in lieu of a ‘you’re welcome’, but mostly because he missed the feel of Luke’s soft, petal lips. They are just as sweet and gentle as they were the night before, though this time Luke is grinning against his, a sure sign that he’s happy. It makes Ashton laugh, tearing apart the kiss and leaving Luke to crawl off the boy.

“I overheard Joy downstairs, making breakfast. We should go get something,” Luke blushes, rubbing the back of his neck and tugging on his sleep shirt. It’s a strange new look on him, bashful and shy. Ashton wondered if he created this Luke, or if the flirtatious Luke he had previously been getting to know was a damn good cover.

Ashton simply nods at the boy, shoving the covers aside and throwing his legs over the side of the bed. He releases a loud yawn as he rises to his feet, walking towards the door where Luke stands and takes the boy’s hand, making Luke jump slightly. “Sorry,” he apologizes, holding Ashton’s hand tightly. “Wasn’t expecting that is all.”

Ashton just grins at him, kissing his cheek before the two of them head downstairs for breakfast. The smell of eggs and bacon waft up the stairs and makes Ashton’s stomach growl loudly. Joy had always made a wonderful breakfast on the weekends, and Ashton’s stomach obviously couldn’t wait to devour what was waiting for him in the kitchen that morning.

Joy is manning the stove when they enter, scrambling up some eggs as David works beside her on what Ashton can see as a large helping of hash browns. Calum is already resting at the kitchen table, still dressed in his pajamas and scrolling through his phone while drinking his orange juice. They looked like a perfect family almost, something Ashton never could have guessed he would have in a million years.

Calum manages to look up from his phone for a slight second, catching a glimpse at Ashton and Luke’s intertwined hands and making him set down his phone with wide eyes. “I can’t believe it,” he chuckles, crossing his arms across his chest and leaning back into his chair. “I mean; it took you guys three months to figure it out but here you are!”

Joy looks away from the eggs, a knowing grin on her lips when she sees the boys. “Glad to see you two awake!” She chirps, grabbing a plate for the eggs from the cupboard and placing it on the table. “Seems like you two had a good night’s rest?”

Ashton doesn’t miss the way Luke blushes at Joy’s words, the boy taking a seat at the table and smiling adorably at her words. Calum looks to have the itch to make some joke at them, but keeps to himself as he gets up and helps his father with the hash browns, looking back every now and then to keep an eye on his friends. Ashton wonders if his mother would have been like this too, if she was still alive; a good amount of teasing being held back so she wouldn’t fully embarrass him.

“Ashton,” David speaks up, facing the boy with a look of seriousness that has Ashton’s smile fading. “Calum has been telling me that you are planning on confronting Pastor Hemmings about the ban on public dancing. Is this true?”

It’s something Ashton hasn’t spoken about with David, that was for sure. He remembers confiding in Joy about the whole debacle, about wanting to do something about the law that came into place shortly after their daughter’s death. He figured Joy and Calum would be the ones to be more open towards it, the ones that would push him to fight for what he loved and hopefully bring joy back into the town of Bomont. It was David that Ashton didn’t seem all too eager to confide in, especially after their argument that day in the principal’s office. Hell, Ashton hadn’t even spoken properly to David since that day.

“Yes,” Ashton says shortly, taking a seat at the table beside Luke and pouring himself a glass of juice. “Is that going to be a problem around here if I do?”

He knows he’s made a tense situation in the house, conversation growing silent as everyone tries to preoccupy themselves with something else. Ashton knows they are listening, though, eavesdropping silently as they work to get the table ready. David seems to be the only one looking at Ashton still, his look of seriousness turning into one of masked anger almost. “Just add it to the list,” he says simply, clearing his throat as he puts the hash browns onto a plate. Ashton feels a pang of hurt to his heart at David’s words, but doesn’t voice it.

Breakfast is a silent affair, saved for Joy asking Luke every now and then if he’s feeling better this morning. The tension is still there, and Ashton’s grateful no one seems to be poking at it to see what happens. The last thing he wants is a heated discussion at the table.

Once breakfast has been cleared off, Ashton is already heading up the stairs for a change of clothes. He knows Joy would probably want to talk about the situation with David, clear the awkward tension that would continue to linger in the house, but Ashton wasn’t exactly up for that. The last thing he wanted was the listen as David scrambled for some half ass excuse for his insults about Ashton’s mother.

“Are you alright?” Luke asks from the doorway of Ashton’s bedroom, the boy having changed into a change of clothes from Calum. His clothes from the day before were still stained with blood, Joy insisting she had to clean them thoroughly before Luke could get them back. “You seemed tense at breakfast.”

“I’ll be alright,” Ashton tells him, words honest. He wasn’t going to let his situation with David bring him down, especially when it’s so close to his speech in front of the town council. He doesn’t need his personal problems to take his focus off of the task at hand. “Just some personal troubles between the two of us, I’m sure we’ll be alright.”

Luke doesn’t seem entirely convinced, but shrugs anyways. He steps forward, wrapping his arms around Ashton’s waist and kissing the boy’s forehead. “If you say so,” he whispers, arms holding Ashton’s tighter. It feels like Luke is protecting him, holding him close in order to keep him safe. Strange, considering Ashton had spent so long thinking he had to protect Luke. Never did he think _he_ needed protection.

“Be my boyfriend?” He mumbles into Luke’s chest, heart thudding rapidly as he awaits Luke’s answer. He knows maybe he should have waited a little to ask such a big question, but being in Luke’s arms made him realize how much he wanted to be in the boy’s arms. He felt safe, loved there.

Luke laughs, kissing Ashton’s honey curls and smiling into his hair. “That sounds nice.”

Ashton grins into the boy’s chest, slapping it lightly at Luke’s reply. Both of them are wearing matching grins, Luke’s dimple poking out and making Ashton’s heart thump wildly. Luke was beautiful, far more beautiful than Ashton deserved. Even with the black eye and bruised face, Luke Hemmings was the most gorgeous thing in Ashton’s eyes.

He doesn’t bother with a reply to Luke’s answer, instead opting to put his lips to work and pull Luke down for another kiss.

***

Luke’s mother is outside when they pull up to the Hemming’s household, tending to the garden out front. There are a pair of headphones in her ears, making her completely oblivious to the loudness of Ashton’s car when the pull up alongside the curb. Ashton cuts the engine, looking over at Luke in the passenger seat and taking his boyfriend’s hand. “Want me to come with you?”

Luke looks over at his house, eyes tracing the entirety of the Victorian exterior with a sigh. “I’d appreciate it? I mean, I’m sure my mom would like to talk to you anyhow, for housing me?” He doesn’t seem sure of his words at all, but Ashton doesn’t bother to force him to talk anymore. He’s been nervous the entire drive here, playing over his words silently as to what he was going to say to his parents once they arrived. Ashton didn’t feel the need to add onto the problems by talking anymore.

Ashton is the first to get out of the car, walking over to Luke’s side and helping the boy to his feet. Luke’s hands are shaking with nerves, strange considering they were at his own home. Ashton laces their fingers together regardless, in hopes of calming his boyfriend’s nerves as they approach Luke’s mother.

Luke gives Ashton’s hand on last squeeze before approaching his mother cautiously, tapping her shoulder gently. She jolts slightly, having been perfectly concentrated on her gardening, but her face breaks out into a large smile when she notices Luke. “Oh!” she says, jumping up from her position and wrapping her arms around her son tightly. “I was so worried about you. Joy told me you were hurt!” She pulls away, cupping Luke’s face and gasping. “I’m going to get the police after whomever did this to you I swear to the Lord.”

“It’s okay mom,” Luke assures her, wrapping his arms around her once more and holding her close. “Joy already has. Can’t promise he’ll be caught or anything, but we already have that handled. No need to worry.”

Liz scoffs at her son’s words, hugging her son. “No need to worry? Lucas Robert I am your mother I’m always going to be worrying.” She peeks over Luke’s shoulder, a light, friendly smile gracing her face when she notices Ashton standing awkwardly behind her son. “Ashton, thank you so much for helping him.”

The last thing Ashton expected was for Liz to walk over to him and pull him into a bone crushing hug. She figured a thank you would be the last of it, but he wasn’t necessarily going to complain about a hug. “I’d do anything for him,” he tells her, words honest. “Is Mr. Hemmings around? I figured I should speak with him about something while I’m here.”

The front door bursts open before Liz can say a word, Andrew Hemmings barreling down the stairs with fury in his eyes. It only takes him two seconds for him to reach Ashton, and regardless of Liz and Luke’s shouts of his name, Andrew still swings his fist at the boy, Ashton falling backwards onto the grass from the force.

“Did you hurt my son?” Andrew shouts at him, looking down furiously at Ashton. Ashton’s jaw hurts, most likely bruising from the force behind the punch, but also making it hard to speak. He’s never really been hit that hard before, he’s a little stunned to say the least. “Answer me before I make sure the police drag you off my property!”

“Dad!” Luke shouts at him, pulling his father away from Ashton and looking at his boyfriend on the ground. “Ashton didn’t do this to me, alright? As much as I know you want to blame him for this, it wasn’t him.”

Andrew doesn’t seem to care for his son’s words, dragging Ashton up by his shirt collar, only to shove him backwards onto the grass once more. “You listen to me son, don’t you _dare_ come near my son ever again. I don’t care if you weren’t the one who did this to him, I care that ever since you’ve shown up in my town, you’ve been creating quite a bit of trouble, and I will no longer stand for it.”

Liz finally pulls her husband back, anger flickering in her eyes as she glares at her husband. “That was completely uncalled for Andrew! This boy was the one who brought Luke home, the one he stayed with last night! As far as I’m concerned Ashton here is something good in Luke’s life!”

“It’s his fault Luke has been breaking the law!” Andrew shouts, Ashton noticing how Luke noticeably flinches. He gets up from his spot on the ground, scrambling over to his boyfriend and wraps a comforting arm around him. Luke is shaking, noticeably scared of his father. “If I weren’t for this kid, Luke wouldn’t be dancing, listening to that awful music, wouldn’t- “

“Shut up!”

Ashton freezes, and he can tell Liz and Andrew are shocked as they turn to face their son. Liz seems horrified, mouth shut in a tight line and her eyes looking over Luke. Andrew has his fists clenched in anger, face turning a cherry color at his son’s words. Ashton’s grip on Luke’s arm tightens, scared for his boyfriend and the glares from his parents that are burning into his skin.

“Nothing I’ve done has been Ashton’s fault,” he begins, hand finding Ashton’s and holding it tightly, defiantly in front of his father. “If there is anyone to blame for what has been happening the past few months, it’s you, dad.”

Andrew fish mouths. “Me?” he asks, shocked. “What have I done to make you some trouble making slut?”

Luke tenses at his father’s words, and Ashton is completely stunned. Liz looks even more horrified than before, mouth open in shock and holding a hand to her mouth at staring at her husband. Ashton feels tempted to step forward, punch Pastor Hemmings right in the teeth for speaking about his son in such a way.

Luke beats him to the punch, only it’s not his fists that go to work. It’s his words. “Blaming everything on Jack, that’s what. No one can dance because _Jack died._ How about no one can listen to rock music as loud as they wish, oh yeah, _because Jack died._ You can’t go around blaming your dead son for everything dad, especially when every single piece of the blame should be placed on _you.”_

There’s a feeling of proud shooting through Ashton’s veins at his boyfriend’s words. This was the Luke Hemmings he loved to see, the one who wouldn’t allow someone to bring him down and make him feel worthless. This was the Luke Hemmings that suffered alone, bottled up every feeling he had for years. Now it was his time to shine, and Ashton was in love with it.

Andrew has now fallen silent, Liz by his side with her mouth shut as well. It seems no one knows what to say now, a pregnant silence falling over them.

Luke breaks it when he walks towards Ashton’s car, pulling the passenger side door open. “Just so you know dad, you still have a son around. In case you forgot.” He slams the door shut then, awaiting Ashton to start the engine and take them away.

Ashton stands still, looking between Andrew and Liz and wondering if anything he says now would matter. It wouldn’t make the situation less awkward, that was one thing he was certain about, but standing there silent didn’t seem to be right either.

“Your son means the world to me,” he settles for, looking right at Andrew. “He’s the most amazing person I’ve ever come across, and he’s worth so much more than you treat him.” He walks away then, feeling proud and gets into the car, starting the engine and looking at Luke. “Let’s go home.”

They drive away, not bothering to see if Luke’s parents were watching them leave.

***

They don’t go back to the Hood house, not right away. With the way Luke’s fists are still curled and his breathing heavy, Ashton knows that the last place Luke wants to be is around others. The boy needs to blow off some steam, alone. As tempted as he is to just drive back to the Hemmings house and give Luke’s father a piece of his mind, Ashton opts instead to drive towards the Yearbook, knowing that the train car would be the perfect place for Luke to relax.

The sit in the box car in silence, Ashton messing with the stereo and trying to find a song to play while Luke fiddles with a Sharpie in his hands. Ashton knows he wants to write something among the walls, wants to express whatever it was that he was feeling. He wasn’t sure what was holding his boyfriend back from doing so. He knows there are plenty of angry song lyrics out there Luke could write along the walls in here, plenty he’s heard Luke mumble under his breath when he’s listening to his iPod.

He breaks the silence with a gentle voice. “What your dad said…”

“It doesn’t bother me anymore,” Luke interjects, clearing his throat and wiping at some of the tears that were still escaping. “It looks like it does, but the reality of it all is that he doesn’t know anything about me. He doesn’t know anything except for what this entire town gossips about. It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not, he’ll believe whatever enters his ears if it comes from his buddies.” He reaches forward, taking Ashton’s hand in his and stroking his thumb across his knuckles lightly. It’s a feathery touch, barely there, but Ashton doesn’t mind in the slightest. He can feel the tension escaping his boyfriend from just the simplicity of their hands touching, and it makes his heart skip at the thought of Luke calming down because of him.

“Thank you,” Luke mumbles softly, so quiet Ashton nearly misses it. His ocean blue eyes have glanced up at him with tenderness and love, a gentle smile coming to Luke’s lips. “For finding your way here to this town, for taking a chance on me?” He gets up from his seat on the worn couch and leading Ashton to a less crowded part of the Yearbook. He uncaps the Sharpie, reaching his hand up to a blank part of the wall and writing.

_Darkest night never felt so bright, with you by my side_

“I mean it when I say you’ve changed my life,” Luke tells him, eyes still on his writing. “You have no idea just how mundane everything was around here before you came. I would go to school, fight with my dad, repeat. There was nothing exciting around here, despite what the rumors about me say.” He sets the Sharpie down onto the small coffee table, adjusting the stereo to play a different station on the radio. The soft sounds of acoustic guitar play as they lead back to the worn couch, Luke falling into Ashton’s embrace easily. “You are the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me Ashton Irwin.”

Ashton’s heart flutters against his chest rapidly at Luke’s words, almost like a butterfly attempting to escape it’s confines. There are many unspoken words swirling along in his head, words he knows are far too soon for their relationship, but words he knows he feels, knows that when the time comes he can speak them with no fear, no shame.

He knows his words cannot do much, though, and so instead he settles for leaning across the couch and pressing his lips against Luke’s. He prays that everything he feels, all the little things he wants to say, spill out into his kiss. It’s the only way he can get them out without scaring this boy away too soon.

Luke responds eagerly, hands tangling in the tangled mess of hair at the nape of Ashton’s neck. Ashton feels himself falling backwards onto the back of the couch as Luke remains on top of him, lips gentle and kind while his hands travel up and down his sides. It feels as though Luke is treating him as gentle as he can, as if Ashton was going to fade away into nothingness if he didn’t.

When Luke pulls away, giving Ashton just a moment to open his eyes and look at him, he sees nothing but love radiating from his boy’s blue eyes. It’s then, in the small boxcar, that Ashton realizes exactly how he feels about Luke Hemmings.

He’s in love.

***

“Favorite color?”

“Blue.”

“What _kind_ of blue?”

Ashton shrugs, his hands resting on the small of Luke’s back as the boy lounges himself across Ashton’s chest. They’ve been in that position for what feels like hours now, both of them not bothering with moving. Ashton feels quite content with Luke in his arms, talking about nothing as they allow time to pass them by. A few trains have passed them by, Luke flinching as they pass and making the boy curl even closer into Ashton’s embrace until they pass completely. They started up a game of twenty questions to take Luke’s mind off of it all, which then turned into forty, then sixty questions. Not that Ashton was complaining.

He looks at Luke’s eyes, the brightest of blue shining right back at him, and he grins. “The kind of blue that is in your eyes. Almost like the perfect blue waters of the Caribbean, but with a swirl of navy that brings out the beauty in the light.” He kisses Luke’s forehead, admiring the red in his boyfriend’s cheeks as he buries himself further into Ashton’s T-shirt. “What about you, do you have a favorite color?”

Luke hums against the fabric of Ashton’s shirt. “I really like green, but not the neon bright green? I like the green that makes up nature. The color of fresh cut grass, the green that rests on pine trees. That’s the kind of green that I like.” He lifts his head up and rests his chin on Ashton’s chest, looking at Ashton curiously before asking, “Why are you fighting this dance ban? Besides the obvious.”

Ashton raises an eyebrow. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“I _mean,”_ Luke says, sighing and sitting up. Ashton misses the heat of Luke’s body on top of his, but doesn’t bother to pull the boy back down to him. “Kids around here have been all talk about trying to get this law over turned, but you have been the only one to actually fight for it. The only one who seems to be willing to go as far as confront the town council just to get it abolished.” His hands reach for Ashton’s face, cupping it gently. “What made you want to actually get up and fight?”

Ashton knows the answer, and he doesn’t hesitate. “My mother,” He states, staring down at his hands as Luke purses his lips. “When she was sick, I felt like I couldn’t do anything to make it better. It didn’t matter how many times I sat by her side reading to her, making her dinner just so she didn’t have to. In the end she still died, my efforts were never good enough.” His face feels hot, and his eyes are burning as tears threaten to spill over and show Ashton at his weakest. “Fighting for this ban? It’s my chance to make things better for everyone. If I couldn’t make my mother better, the least I could do is make things better for everyone around me. I see people every single day dancing in the halls, only to stop once they realize some type of authority figure it watching. The kids in this town _need_ someone to fight for them.”

Luke’s hand reaches for his, resting in his palm as the boy kisses his cheek. “You have my support,” he whispers, resting his head back against Ashton’s shoulder. “You’ll always have my support.”

Ashton grins at his boyfriend’s words, kissing their intertwined hands before lifting Luke’s head up and kissing the boy’s lips. “Well, I do need someone to help me finish up this speech for when I do go head to head with them. Mind helping me with that?”

Luke grins, settling himself back into Ashton’s embrace and sighing softly. “I would love to.”

***

The town council always met on a Saturday night, normally with a small crowd of citizens of Bomont who came to them with complaints. They were meant to listen to each and every person, taking an interest in what they had to say, either it be an idea of improving the town or a complaint about the recreation at the park again. It didn’t matter what it was that a citizen came to speak about; it was required of the town council to give them nothing but their full attention.

Stepping into the courtroom, Ashton couldn’t have been more nervous to see just how _many_ people showed up for this one.

The entire room was packed to the brim it seemed, people dodging elbows in an attempt to get a seat. Ashton knew they were all here for him, after word spread around the town that it was this particular Saturday that Ashton Irwin, the newest kid in town, would be presenting his argument for fighting against the town’s ban on public dancing. It seemed to be a hot button topic around the town, even Joy coming home the other night and mentioning that she heard a couple of ladies at the grocery store discussing wanting to attend. “Everyone seems to be on your side!” she had chirped when she got home, but it still didn’t ease Ashton’s nerves.

Luke tried helping as much as he could with Ashton’s speech, but even Ashton could tell the boy was nervous. It was going to be the first time Luke would be seeing his parents in almost a week, and Ashton could tell it was taking a toll on his boyfriend as the days leading up to it passed. He could hardly sleep, normally curling into Ashton and breathing heavily as he attempted to lull himself to sleep. It didn’t matter how much Ashton assured him that he was going to be with him, that he wasn’t going into this alone.

“I don’t want my nerves passing onto you,” Luke had insisted one night, helping Ashton with the final elements of his speech. “The last thing you need is to get cold feet before your big moment.”

It didn’t matter if Luke’s nerves passed onto him anyhow; Ashton was still going to be nervous regardless. It would be his first time being in front of the entire town, presenting himself as someone who dared to challenge one of the laws. He’s heard stories about past citizens who tried to fight the laws, and none of them seemed to actually have a good argument behind them. While Ashton felt his was more confident and could have an easy backing against it, there was still that lingering fear in the back of his mind that all of his hard work was going to end with the law still staying.

“You’ve got this,” Luke tells him, kissing his cheek and adjusting the tie around Ashton’s neck. He tried looking presentable for his speech, at least attempting to have some professionalism in him when it came to how important this was. “If you need any type of encouragement up there, any at all, just look at me and the guys. I can promise you that we can help you get through it.”

Ashton nods, taking a deep breath and bouncing on his feet. “Yeah, I got this. Look at you, get encouragement. Yeah.”

Luke laughs at his boyfriend’s nervousness, kissing him gently on the lips before tapping his nose with his finger. “I believe in you, okay? Now go up there and kick some ass.” He gives Ashton an encouraging pat on the shoulder before heading towards where Michael and Calum are sitting with Joy and David, ruffling Michael’s newly dyed blonde hair as the boy scowls at his now ruined hair. Seeing his friends and family eases the nerves a little more, that was for sure. Having them there helped make it feel less than trying to convince a bunch of strangers to listen: he was doing this for them too.

A gavel is being hit up front by an older gentleman, his small eyes looking around the room at the large crowd with what appeared to be annoyance. “Ladies and gentleman, just a reminder that this is town business. We will not condone any loud disturbances of any kind, and you are to be respectful of people’s words regardless of your views.” He looks to his right, observing his fellow council members before his eyes land on Andrew Hemmings, who has taken his position at the end. “Andrew, would you like to begin?”

Ashton swallows thickly when he sees Luke’s dad stand up in his chair, strict and meticulous. _If looks could kill,_ Ashton thinks bitterly. “Thank you, Howard.” His hard eyes land on Ashton shortly after he rises, and Ashton already feels like he’s finished. “There seems to be only one item on the agenda, and it comes from one of our newest residents.” He motions for Ashton to come forward, rough hand beckoning him forward with a harsh glare. “Please introduce yourself and what exactly you will be speaking towards.”

Ashton’s eyes immediately go towards his friends and family, all of them offering encouraging smiles as Ashton approaches the front. His throat feels locked tight, chest trapped as if he can’t breathe. This was a moment he’s been waiting for, the moment to finally make something of himself, and he couldn’t let his nerves get the best of him. He wasn’t going to allow it.

“My name is Ashton Irwin,” he speaks, making sure his voice is clear, loud. “I want to move on behalf of the minors in Bomont that the law against public dancing in the city limits to be abolished.”

Ashton didn’t know how many people in this room were actually on his side until he spoke those words. It seemed everyone in the room was applauding him, smiles on their faces and looks of encouragement while Howard banged the gravel loudly once more, silencing them with another stern warning about the volume level.

“Howard?” Ashton notices Andrew speak up once more, motioning to the man in the middle. “May I say a few words to Mr. Irwin here?” Howard seems to give a nod of approval, and Ashton thinks his stomach might just fall out of his ass. He knows what’s coming, he knows that Pastor Hemmings wasn’t going to let him have this moment. Ashton was foolish to think it would be _that_ easy.

“Ashton,” Andrew begins, stance pristine and formal as he speaks. “There is a reason this law is in place, and despite popular belief, it is not because we dislike the minors in this town from having fun. The reason that this law is in place is for the safety of the minors in this town. Public dancing is dangerous. Not only does it somehow go hand in hand with alcohol consumption within underage citizens here, but it also seems to come with lewd behavior that comes with unsupervised dancing. I’m more concerned with the health of the minors in this town, and how it brings spiritual corruption into these teenagers lives. The dances, the music? It gives them a twisted state of mind that not only convinces them to break other laws, but it also could destroy the lives of everyone around them. I’m positive that I’m not the only one in this room that believes that.”

“Pastor Hemmings is correct,” Howard speaks up again, and Ashton has the sudden urge to punch the man. “Now, I believe it is time to vote on this matter.”

An uproar rises in the room then, loud shouts and boos coming from most of the crowd as Howard remains smug. Ashton looks towards Luke desperately, needing another boost of confidence in him to make sure that this isn’t going to happen, but the boy looks just as shocked as he is.

“That’s not fair!” Joy shouts above the noise of the crowd, surprising Ashton in the process. Howard’s attention seems to be directed towards her now, and he doesn’t appear to be happy. “Last I checked Ashton was speaking, he has a right to finish what he was going to say!”

“Mrs. Hood, please take a seat,” Howard scolds her, and Ashton has never seen so much anger in Joy’s eyes before. He half expects her to rush towards the front and take the man down herself, but he stays planted where she is. “As head of this council, I have the right to move this to a vote as I please.”

More uproars rise, and while Ashton starts to prepare himself for his defeat, he’s shocked to hear another familiar voice among the crowd speak up for him, one that has everyone, including one Andrew Hemmings, turning their heads in shock.

Liz Hemmings is on her feet, fists clenched and to her sides as she stares daggers into Howard’s head. “I believe Ashton has the right to be heard, Howard. Now let him speak.” Her voice is dripping with poison, anger, and Ashton gets a bit of amusement out of the fact that Howard seems absolutely speechless. Serves him right. She steps towards Ashton then, placing a hand on the boy’s arm and smiling sweetly at him. “Go up there and fight this, okay? You got this.”

A feeling of proud shoots through Ashton’s veins at Liz’s words. “Thank you,” he tells her, stepping up towards the podium as the crowd around him bursts into cheers once more. It was now the moment of truth, Ashton knew this. He couldn’t afford to lose at this point, couldn’t allow himself to let everyone around him down. This was the moment he’d been working for, and he was going to make it count.

Once it’s silent, he begins. “I know I wasn’t here three years ago, when these laws were put into place. I know the story behind them, though. A lot of you seem to believe that I have no right to speak about the lives lost that night, mostly because I didn’t know them. The truth of the matter is, that while I didn’t know them all before their deaths, I did know one of them personally.” He swallows, taking a deep breath. “I knew Mali Koa Hood. She was the closest thing I had to a sister growing up, despite the fact that I probably only saw her once every few months. She would always come visit me in Los Angeles with her mother, Joy, and her brother, Calum. They were the closest thing I had to siblings growing up, and growing up as an only child I was alone a lot. Having them around was the best thing I could ask for.

“Mali was supposed to be a dancer. She had the talent, the scholarship that was going to send her to the best school. She always spent her time dancing, and when she wasn’t dancing, she was talking about dancing. She loved nothing more than how the music moved her, how she would lose herself in the dances she either created or she was a part of. Dancing meant everything in the world to her. In fact, she spent her last few moments on this world dancing with her closest friends.” He looks straight ahead at Andrew Hemmings, and speaks his next words loud and clear. “She would be _devastated_ to hear that her favorite thing in the entire world was now illegal in her hometown.

“Not only do I think about Mali every single day, but I think about her friend, Jack too. He was dancing with her that night, and he was in that car as well. All of their friends that were with them loved dancing, and while they weren’t exactly pursuing dance as a career in the future, it was definitely something that they loved to do as a hobby or for the hell of it.

“They all had futures. Each one of them had a life ahead of them that was torn away the moment their car was struck. Every single day, when I walk down the halls at school and see their pictures, it reminds me of how precious life truly is. It can be taken away from you so easily, so quickly, and without any warning. I know about this first hand.

“These laws were placed to protect the children in Bomont. I know that they were placed with your own children in mind, to protect them and ensure that they wouldn’t meet the fate that those teenagers did that fateful night three years ago. From a parent’s stand point, I can see why these laws make sense. To take away my right to dance though? To take away my right to dance whenever I want, where I want, however I want? That’s a right of mine, that you can’t take away. We are only young for so long, and for these laws to take away our youth, what little of it us teenagers have left? It’s not fair. Pretty soon we will grow up and have responsibilities and children of our own. Until then, though? Shouldn’t we be allowed to live our lives? Screw up, play our music too loud and just _enjoy_ our youth while it lasts?”

He’s interrupted by a small tap on his shoulder, making him stop and turn to see Luke standing behind him, a bible in hand. A few of the pages seem to be marked with sticky notes, and Ashton grins when he realizes exactly why Luke is giving this to him. He opens the bible to a marked page, and grins. “We are told in Psalm 149, ‘Praise the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song and let them praise his name into the dance.’ The book of Samuel, 614, says, ‘David _danced_ before the Lord with all his might. Leaping, and _dancing_ before the Lord, celebrating God, and celebrating his love of life.’ He did all of this with _dancing._

“That’s what we as teenagers are doing; celebrating life with our dancing, our loud music. There might have been a time three years ago for the law against public dancing, but now that time is over.” He clears his throat, placing his bible underneath his arm and smiling. “Thank you.”

***

A few days have passed since the meeting, and life has moved on.

The law remained in place, but Ashton wasn’t exactly surprised. He knew that Pastor Hemmings wasn’t going to allow it to vanish that easily. It seemed everyone in that room had already made their minds up when it came to their vote, and Ashton wasn’t going to allow his defeat to tarnish him. After all, life does go on. He’s learned that.

Luke went back to his own house after that, but he hasn’t spoken with his father. His mother seems to be protecting him mostly, and Luke comes over to the Hood house as much as he can to avoid him. It doesn’t bother Joy all that much either, having him around. She’s taken quite the liking to Ashton’s boyfriend, and even David has grown into him.

They are on the back porch one night, Michael and Calum lounging across from them on one of the porch swings while Luke rests with him on the loveseat. It’s a bit cool out, the sun going down as the four of them talk about the upcoming end of the school year. It blows Ashton’s mind that he’ll soon be graduating high school, getting out of Bomont and possibly heading into the unknown. As far as he’s aware, he’s going with Luke to whatever University the boy ends up at, and it seems to be okay with him as far as he’s concerned.

“What happens now?” Michael mumbles once their conversation has died down a bit, his can of soda near empty. “I mean, don’t schools normally have an end of the year dance to look forward to? We don’t even have that. There is no way in _hell_ I am going to slow dance with Calum in front of my mother either.”

“That’s because you don’t know _how_ to slow dance appropriately,” Calum snorts, shoving his boyfriend’s shoulder lightly. “Grinding on me like some amateur porn star isn’t exactly dancing babe.”

Ashton laughs, crushing his empty can of soda and tossing it into the garbage can outside. “It just sucks that we can’t even really have a dance at all, you know? I wouldn’t even mind if it was in another town. The least we could do is have a dance for the senior class, you know?” He presses a kiss to Luke’s forehead before getting up and grabbing another soda from the cooler. “Could we at least do that?”

Luke shrugs. “There could be a possibility. I know there’s that old cotton place a little outside of town that is vacant. Maybe we could try and fix it up, maybe we can do something there? I mean, there’s no chance we could get in trouble because it’s out of city limits.” He takes the soda Ashton hands him with a sweet kiss, grinning from ear to ear as he settles back into Ashton’s embrace. “Think we could do that?”

“Do you think your _dad_ won’t have a fit about that?” Michael groans, and the boys all frown. “Knowing him he’d make sure we couldn’t do anything. Unless we come up with some bullshit about how we wouldn’t be ‘corrupted’ by the music and dancing.”

Luke hums, nibbling on his lower lip. “Nothing I say would convince him. As far as I’m aware I’ve been written out of his will and his life.” He shifts himself in Ashton’s embrace, looking up at the boy with a cheeky grin. “You did pretty good with him the last time the two of you talked, how about you give it a go?”

Ashton snorts. “I know I’m not exactly on his nice list,” he says, stealing Luke’s can of soda and taking a drink. Luke pouts his lower lip, and Ashton just laughs before pressing a quick kiss to the boy’s lips to make it go away. “But maybe I can do some convincing? At least ask him to hear me out?”

“Wouldn’t hurt to try,” Calum agrees, before adding, “If you can convince the hard ass to allow us to have a dance outside of city limits, no problem, I will seriously pay you twenty bucks. I’d _love_ to see you try.”

Luke looks at the watch on his wrist, nudging Ashton to get his attention. “Right now is about the time he’s at the church, practicing some sermons. I’d say now is better than never if you want to talk to him.” He looks at Ashton with a look of hopefulness, and Ashton sighs.

“I’ll be back,” he decrees, and Michael and Calum cheer. “Don’t drink all of the soda before I get back or I swear I will kick all of your asses. I’m definitely going to need caffeine after this.”

***

It’s strange, being in the church at night. It’s not as bright and cheerful as it is during the day, when the sunlight glistens through the stained glass windows and producing vibrant colors into the church. Now it looks grim, save for the small lights turned on as Pastor Hemmings stands with his back turned at the front, speaking to no one but himself.

Ashton approaches cautiously, not wanting to scare Andrew, and most certainly not wanting to interrupt his rehearsal sermon. He was already on the guy’s bad side, and the last thing Ashton wants to do is end up further up on the list. Wouldn’t exactly go over well, considering the reason he was here was to get off of that list.

He silently takes a seat in the back, watching as Andrew recites words from the book in his hands. Ashton can tell he’s deep into it, the words coming out with meaning and passion. It’s interesting to see Luke’s father so passionate into something, losing the angry, cruel exterior Ashton has come to know in favor of a free spirited aura.

It nearly startles Ashton when Andrew stops speaking, calling out, “Who’s there?”

“Ashton Irwin?” Ashton says gently, hoping Andrew wasn’t too angry about being watched. He approaches Andrew carefully, but the man doesn’t seem angry. Stunned at the most, almost seemingly surprised that it was Ashton sitting and watching. Almost as if he was expecting someone else to be there.

“Hello,” Andrew greets softly, closing the book in his hands. “You surprised me for a minute. I haven’t had someone step in to watch me speak in a long while.” He clears his throat, face sad as he sets his book down onto one of the pews. “Jack used to come in here late at night when I’d still be here. He’d watch me, not making a sound, and then laugh when I would jump in surprise.” An actual smile appears on his face as he reminisces, and Ashton is surprised to see it. “Is there a reason you are here this late? Is Luke with you?”

“No sir,” Ashton tells him, and he doesn’t miss the look of disappointment on Andrew’s face as he says so. “It’s just me tonight.” He takes a seat again, and he watches as Andrew does the same, sitting beside him with his book in his lap.

“May I say something to you Ashton?” Andrew asks politely, and Ashton nods. He certainly wasn’t expecting to be the one having to hear a story tonight, and he’s sincerely hoping it isn’t some type of lecture. Andrew Hemmings already bothers him enough as it was; the last thing he wanted to hear was some winded speech about how Ashton was wrong about fighting the ban or something. “When you got up the other day, in front of the council and spoke about the ban? You reminded me so much of my son, Jack.”

“I did?”

Andrew nods sadly, fiddling with the pages of his book as he speaks. “He was always hard headed, rebellious. Luke was always the one who followed the rules, believe it or not. Jack was the one who tried to challenge me all of the time, and the one thing he always did was keep me in check whenever I did step out of line.” He sets the book aside before leaning forward, staring straight ahead and allowing his eyes to trace the stained glass window that hung above. “When Luke told me he was gay; Jack was the one who made me realize that there was nothing wrong with that. He’s the one that taught me that the church isn’t always right, and I still loved my son regardless, though it seems like I might think differently.

“When Jack died, a lot of things changed. Luke became the rebellious one. I didn’t even notice at first, and now that I think back to it, I wonder if he was trying to make me notice he was still here.” He shakes his head. “I’ve been a terrible father to him, and there is no way I can change that.”

“My dad left me,” Ashton tells him, and Andrew’s focus shifts towards him. “I grew up with just my mother, and Joy whenever she came to visit. As much as I want to agree with you on being a terrible father, I guarantee you are not the worst one out there by a long shot.” He leans back against the pew and stares straight ahead. “Luke still loves you; You just need to show him that you still love him too.”

“I do,” Andrew confesses, and Ashton knows he’s telling the truth. There’s a pain in his eyes as he says those words, regret. “I’ve always loved him. I know I haven’t been very good and showing him that, but he’s my son. I regret every wrong thing I’ve said to him; I’ve repented for it as well. All I need is for him to forgive me.”

Ashton nods, patting Andrew’s shoulder gently to gain his attention. “I know you voted against the law being abolished, but there is an old building outside of Bomont that we were thinking of using for a school dance. I originally came here to tell you that no matter what you say, we would be holding it, but now I have something else to ask of you.”

“You want to take Luke.”

Ashton nods. “This dance means a lot to us, but Luke means a lot more to me. I promise, despite what you’ve previously thought of me, I would never allow Luke to get hurt ever again. I understand if you don’t want him with me, so if you say he can’t go, I won’t go either.”

There’s a silence between them, nearly deafening to Ashton as he watches Andrew. He can see the thoughts swirling in the man’s head, watches as he tries to piece his words together before he speaks. It’s nerve wracking.

“Thank you,” Andrew says, getting up from his seat and looking back at Ashton. “I’ll, I’ll think about what you’ve said, alright? Just,” he sighs, looking back up at the front of the church. “Thank you.”

***

Sunday comes quick, and the church is a lot warmer than usual. Ashton knows the weather is warming up outside, nearing summer quick, and combined with the entire town being crammed into such a tiny building it’s created quite the hot atmosphere. It doesn’t help that Pastor Hemmings keeps staring at him from his position at his podium, eyes apologetic and firm.

“I stand before you all today, with a brand new outlook on things,” Andrew begins, hands gripping tightly on the sides of his podium. “I was blinded by a few things in the past, things that didn’t allow me to notice what was right in front of me in the present. It’s made me realize that, I’ve been controlling lives around here when I shouldn’t be.

“There comes a time in life that you have to let your children go. It’s difficult, watching as someone you’ve raised for so long leaves you, but you have to trust that the lessons you have taught them will guide them in the correct path. Some lessons, though, don’t always need to be used, as sometimes as a parent you do have the incorrect judgement.” His attention shifts then, and Ashton knows he’s looking at Luke. “The best you can do is apologize, and learn from the experience.

“It’s come to my attention that there are students in Bomont who wish to have a dance in a nearby town. Their last celebration before they graduate and take off in different directions,” Andrew clears his throat and stares ahead, a small smile on his face. “Please, join me in keeping them in our prayers as they do so.”

Someone next to Ashton squeezes his hand, and he can’t help but smile. This was what he wanted since the beginning, and finally having the confirmation from Pastor Hemmings himself was exactly what he needed to hear. He looks towards Luke, who has already met his glance from across the room and is wearing his award winning smile.

“We did it!” Ashton mouths to him, adding a thumbs up and a laugh.

Luke shakes his head then, pointing directly at Ashton with the most heartfelt look Ashton has seen on him. “ _You_ did it.”

***

Joy takes _way_ too many pictures of them before they leave, that was for certain. Ashton thinks his cheeks are going to be permanently stuck in a grin for the rest of the night after they are done, but he doesn’t bother to show his discomfort for the fact. The look on Joy’s face was absolute happiness, and he wasn’t about to go and ruin her moment for her.

“You boys look so incredibly handsome,” Joy comments as she reaches forward to adjust Calum’s hair. “I’m so happy you boys clean up well.”

“Thanks mom,” Calum snorts, wrapping his mother up into a hug before she swats him, saying something about ruining his suit. “Can’t believe I managed to get Michael to dress up for tonight. For all I knew I thought he was going to show up in some skinny jeans and a ripped up T-shirt.”

Michael was cleaned up quite well, wearing a nice black suit jacket and a light colored tie that complimented Calum’s perfectly. He even shaved for the occasion, his usual stubble that decorated his chin now vanished and creating a cleaner look. “I know how much this night means to you! Why would I ruin it in such a way?” He presses a careful kiss to Calum’s styled hair, laughing when Calum’s eyes scrunch up at Michael’s affection. “I can’t wait to see how Luke looks. The guy is a _disaster_ when it comes to dressing up.”

Ashton honestly couldn’t wait either; his boyfriend had been completely mum about what he was going to be wearing to the dance, though he did promise that it would be classy. Ashton was pretty sure it didn’t matter what Luke wore anyhow; he would still be the most beautiful boy he’d ever seen regardless.

“I’m going to go pick him up right now actually,” Ashton tells them, looking at his watch before cursing under his breath. “I’m a little late already as it is.” He kisses Joy’s cheek gently before taking off towards his car, only to come to a complete stop when he reaches it.

David is leaning up against it, holding something in his hands that Ashton can’t quite make out from where he is. “I noticed you didn’t have a tie for tonight,” he comments, holding out a bowtie in his hands. “It’s mine, same one I wore to my senior prom when I was your age. I figured you would like to wear it.”

Ashton grins, stroking the tie with his thumb before reaching up and tying it around his neck. It compliments his dark velvet suit perfectly. “Thank you David,” he says, reaching forward and hugging David tightly. “Not just for the tie, but for being the dad I never quite had.”

David pulls him in closer, patting his back. “I’m sorry about what I said about your mother, and for how I treated everything afterwards. I really am proud of you kid, for everything you’ve done since you’ve got here.” He releases Ashton and steps out of the way, allowing him to get into his car. “Go sweep that Hemmings boy right off of his feet, okay? Lord knows the boy deserves it.”

Ashton nods in agreement. “I really care about him David. I just hope I can make this night incredibly perfect for him. He deserves nothing less.”

“You will,” David assures him, backing away from the car and heading towards where Joy is still eagerly taking pictures of Michael and Calum. “Say hi to Liz and Andrew for me!”

***

When he pulls up to Luke’s house, he’s sweating bullets already. He’s not sure why he’s so nervous honestly. Luke has been a fixture in his life for nearly five months now, has been his boyfriend for at least two. Ashton knows that Luke is the best thing that has ever happened to him since he came to Bomont, and for some reason that is what is creating the copious amounts of sweat at the palms of his hands and the rapid, nervous beating of his heart. This night had to be absolute perfection, because it’s exactly what Luke deserves. After the rough few months he’s experienced, Ashton just wants Luke to have a perfect night to forget all about it.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, he begins to head towards the front door. It opens before he can even reach it, though, with Liz stepping outside to greet him with a light hug. “Luke has been pacing back and forth for an hour now,” she tells him with a chuckle, rolling her eyes. “Keeps thinking you weren’t going to show up. I tried to tell him he was being absolutely ridiculous, but, well, Luke doesn’t exactly listen very well when he’s panicked.”

Ashton chuckles with her, stepping into the house and stopping right there in the doorway once Luke comes into view. The boy is dressed to perfection, wearing a soft pink dress shirt and black dress pants that made him look so much taller than he already was. His shoes were neatly polished and sparkling practically, and a black tie hung undone around his neck. His hair was tousled, styled in a way that reminded Ashton of some of the older pictures he’d seen of Luke with his hair sky high.

“You look incredible,” Luke tells him, breathless as he walks towards Ashton and takes his hand. “Who knew that Ashton Irwin could clean up so nicely?”

Ashton wants to say something in return, some kind of sarcastic retort, but the only words that manage to tumble out are, “You are the most beautiful boy I have ever seen in my life, Luke Hemmings.”

Luke practically turns scarlet, leaning forward and pressing a shy, soft kiss to Ashton’s lips. “Thank you.” He mumbles, moving away and allowing Ashton to do his tie. “Are you feeling nervous right now? For some reason I can’t stop shaking and I can’t exactly figure out why that is.”

Ashton laughs at his boyfriend’s jitters, finishing up the tie and pecking the boy’s nose. “I’m nervous too, we can be nervous together.” He takes Luke’s hand, holding it tightly before bidding Andrew and Liz farewell, leading Luke out to his car.

“Have fun boys!” Liz calls after them, leaning into Andrew’s side as both of them wave. “Take care of my boy Ashton!”

Ashton only offers a smile in return, but he knows Liz understands what he means by it. There wasn’t a chance in hell he’d let anything happen to Luke.

Turning towards his boyfriend, he steals one last kiss before he places the car into drive and begins to head towards the place where the dance is being held, all ready and prepped for them to have the time of their lives. “Ready to have the best night of your life Luke Hemmings?”

Luke simply grins at him, taking Ashton’s free hand. “Any night I spend with you is bound to be the best night of my life Ashton Irwin.” He leans forward, placing a kiss against Ashton’s red cheek, and Ashton swears that at that moment, he’s the happiest man on the planet.

Nothing was going to change that.

**Author's Note:**

> come talk to me on tumblr at lucasashtons :)


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